Two Deaths and a Homecoming
by KagomeBadass17
Summary: Stefan descending into darkness in the name of revenge is the just the distraction I need so Klaus won't see and by the time he figures out what's happening, the only choice he'll have is to fall to his knees and accept defeat.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : I decided I wanted to contribute some fanfiction to the TVDverse and start from S3 since it's the best and my favorite season before the fans started running the show.

I Do Not Own The Vampire Diaries, the characters, the dialogue used in Season 3 or the music that I'm inspired by in the upcoming chapters. No Copy Infringement intended.

* * *

A New Deal Changes Your Suffering Part I

Elena is jogging through Mystic Falls early in the morning, when she stops and takes a break. She notices a man, and continues to jog, until it seems like he's following her. She takes off running, turning the corner of a fence and pauses to look for the man. Seeing has he's not there, Elena resumes her jog, only to suddenly turn around and run into the man.

"Excuse me." The man says panting.

"Don't worry about it." Elena says, both scared and confused at his sudden appearance.

"You have a nice day." The man says and goes back to his jog.

* * *

"I think I'm going crazy," Elena says to Bonnie, Caroline and I. "I'm totally paranoid. I thought the guy was following me."

"Probably doesn't help that there's always a cup of coffee in your hand." I say, stuffing fries in my mouth.

"It's decaf," She responds. "And it helps me stay alert. I need that nowadays."

"It also adds to your paranoia and makes you jittery. You said so yourself, you thought the guy was following you." Caroline replies.

"She has a right to be. Klaus is still out there and he knows she tried to kill him." Bonnie says. Mikael had thought he killed Elena, who turned out to be Katherine in disguise and while Niklaus was in shock, Damon had stabbed him with one of the white oak daggers.

"It was more of a team effort in my opinion." I say in response. I had just got back into town five days ago after I got a frantic call from Uncle Ric, telling me to get back to Mystic Falls. Elena and everyone else had been catching me up on what I'd missed and three nights ago, they'd tried killing a guy named Niklaus, who had apparently been trying to kill them in the year I'd been gone, to break something called the Sun and the Moon curse or maybe it was the Hybrid curse, I was still trying to get it clear.

At the end of my Sophomore year, my Mom was offered a nursing position in New Orleans, and since the tomb vampires were all dead and we didn't have to worry about anything else, I decided to go with her. They had intentionally left me in the dark 'cause they wanted at least one of us 'to have a normal live' as they put it. I was livid but understood their reasoning, but now I had to play catch up so I could help.

Bonnie looks at me slightly annoyed at the comment, while Elena throws me a smile. "Why hasn't he made a move?" She asks. "There's been no sign of him, just my slow spiral into insanity." She runs her hands through her hair.

"Join the club. Every time I close my eyes, I have that nightmare on repeat." Bonnie says, adding salt to the already open supernatural wound.

"Can't you dream about a hot guy or something? I've heard this story enough since I've been staying with you!" I yell. "Caroline, don't encourage her." But I know it's useless.

"The same dream?" She asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Four coffins, Klaus is in one of them. It's weird." Bonnie says a little creeped out about it. And who could blame her?

"What if, it's not just…some dream?" Elena asks. "What if, it's like a witch dream?"

"I for one, hope the dream means Niklaus is going to be dead soon." I add my own interpretation to the dream.

"It's just stress, I'll figure it out." Bonnie says, closing the book on the weird dream.

"What about Stefan? Has there been any sign of him?" Caroline asks changing the subject.

"Sorry, I try to keep at least a hundred foot distance from people that betray us." I reply sarcastically. Before Damon could kill Niklaus, Stefan had rushed in and Niklaus taken the dagger and killed Mikael.

"Lexx is right," Elena admits sulkily. "He betrayed us. The Stefan that we know is gone." She sighs. _There's always a chance we could get him back on the bunny diet._

"How is Damon handling that?" Bonnie asks, glancing over at Damon by the bar _._ Was that concern for Damon I hear from Bonnie? Caroline and I trade curious looks. _I might have to keep an eye on this._

"Damon is…Damon." Elena sips her coffee.

"That means he's emptying the bar." I clarify.

"Caroline, your orders ready!" We hear Sarah shout. Caroline rises from the table.

"Well, I gotta go take my Mom lunch, I'll see you guys later."

* * *

"Come on, Ric. I can't drink all this by myself," Damon wags his eyebrows at the cute bartender behind the bar. "I mean, I can, but then somebody's getting naked."

"I'm busy." Alaric says not evening looking at Damon.

"It's the Eve of Klausageddon and you're doing homework?"

"This may come as a shock, but I am not here to hang out with you. I'm here to see Jeremy, who is an hour late for his shift." Alaric looks around for the him.

"Kids today, where are their values?" Damon asks sarcastically.

"That's his midterm paper," Ric shows Damon the 'F' written on the paper. "Copied it straight off the Internet, didn't even try to hide it." Alaric says disappointed.

"Ooh. Somebody's getting grounded." Damon says happily.

"Did you say you were waiting for Jeremy, as in Jeremy Gilbert?" The cute bartender asks.

"Yeah." Alaric answers back.

"He was fired last week."

"Guess you've been waiting for nothing." Damon laughs. He watches as Bonnie hugs Lexx and Elena before leaving. Where was she running off to?

* * *

"Jeremy, the minute that you get this, call me," She says leaving a voicemail. "Unbelievable."

"You're feisty when you're mad." Damon says sexily. _We're in the middle of a crisis and you think now is the time to hit on her?_

"It's not that I'm mad, I'm just worried." And she had a reason to be; Klaus knew she tried to kill him and he could go after Jeremy if he wanted to.

"Why, 'cause he lost his job at the Grill? I think he'll survive, Elena." Damon shrugs off her concern.

"I'm gonna need you to lay of the coffee, 'cause you're being paranoid," I take a sip from my mango peach juice. "He's probably off getting drunk somewhere."

"He's been spiraling ever since Bonnie broke up with him; he's been moody, not really talking to anyone." It reminded her of when their parents died.

"Elle, they were never dating, Jer just had a crush on her, which is understandable, but he isn't dealing with a lot of crap the average teenager is."

"Still sounds like a typical teenager." Damon still wasn't getting what all the fuss was about.

"Who's seeing ghosts and who's lost everyone that he cares about."

"Not everyone. He still has you." Damon throws a dart at the board.

"You okay?" Elena asks Damon softly. Picking up a dart and lining it up with the red dot on the board I throw it; it lands in the white area near the middle of the board. I decide to go get another order of fries.

"What makes you think I'm not okay?" He pulls the darts from the board.

"Well, you're day drunk. It's not exactly your most attractive look." Elena states bluntly.

"Oh. What is my most attractive look?" Damon gets closer to Elena.

"I'm not saying you have any attractive look, I'm just saying this is my least favorite one."

"Noted. See if I can make any improvements." He widens his eyes. On Lexx's way back from the bar, she bumps into a guy wearing a black denim jacket.

"I am so sorry! Are you okay?" I was so focused on getting back to Damon and Elena, I hadn't noticed him.

"Yes, I'm quite alright."

"Again, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," He nods his head and I make my way back to the table and sit down. "I forgot to get ketchup." I get up from my seat, when I see the guy from the bar approach us. _I wondered what he wanted._

"Don't mind me." He smiles.

"Klaus." Elena calls bit shocked. Wait, this guy was Niklaus? He didn't have a British accent at the bar.

"You gonna to do this in the Grill, in front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?" Damon comes to stand in front of Klaus.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with a mate," He explains." Get a round then would you, Tony?" Elena looks stunned.

"That's the guy I ran into this morning." She says to me. _So it wasn't just paranoia then_.

"I'm surprised you stuck around long enough for happy hour." Damon quips.

"My sister seems to be missing, need to sort that out." Klaus states in a threatening tone. _We'll send you postcard if we see her._

"Cute, blonde bombshell, psycho?" Damon says, pushing me behind him. Klaus takes notice of this. "Shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Truth is, I've grown to rather like your little town," He takes a dart from Damon's hand. "Thinking I might fancy a home here. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves, you can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word." Klaus wraps up his big speech. Was he expecting us to buy this?

"What more could you possibly want?" Elena didn't know what else he could want, what else they could give him. Klaus walks in front her and points the dart near her face. _No telling the damage he could do with just that._

"Well for starters, you can tell me where I might find Stefan." He steps closer to her. I see Damon open his mouth to reply.

"From my understanding, Stefan skipped town the second he saved you." Damon looked like he was on the verge of snapping Klaus' neck. Not like it would do any good, though the sound of his neck being snapped would give me great joy.

"Well that is a shame," Klaus picks up one of the darts and throws it directly in the middle of the board. "Your brother stole from me and I need him found so I can take back what's mine." Klaus speaks to Damon.

"That sounds like a Klaus and Stefan problem." Elena states boldly. This was a new Elena.

"Somebody isn't scared of the big, bad hybrid." I observe out loud while Damon steps in front Elena to block her from Klaus' view.

"Well, this is me broadening the scope, sweetheart." Klaus says to me while smirking.

* * *

Bonnie enters the Old Witches house. She hears voices whispering. She goes down into the basement. When she enters, she sees that there are no coffins there like there were in her dream.

"Hello, Bonnie." She whips her head around quickly.

"Stefan," Wait, what was he doing here? "You followed me?"

"Yeah, wasn't too hard," Bonnie couldn't be sure if that was a threat or not. She was use to dealing with this kind of behavior with it came to Damon. "You should probably be more careful."

"What do you want with me?"

"Relax. I just need your help." She was right where she needed to be.

"Why would I help you? Elena said you saved Klaus' life, you killed Mikael." If anything she should be giving him a aneurysm. As a matter of fact...

Stefan clutches his head in his hands as he drops to the ground. "Klaus kept his family with him at all times...daggered!" He yells. Bonnie releases her hold.

"What does that mean to me?" Stefan tries catching his breath.

"He kept them stored in coffins. And now I have them, and I need you to help keep them hidden."

"Are you out of your mind? You're just gonna make him angrier." He shakes his head has he gets up.

"His family is his one weakness. As long as I have that, I can ruin him." Liked he'd ruined him.

"I don't have enough power to hide four Originals." What did he think she was, a endless power source?

"You're a witch. You hate Klaus. I know you can figure something out."

* * *

"So, you ready?" Alaric asks, cutting vegetables on the kitchen counter.

"Vampires, hybrids, and Originals, no problem. My rebellious brother…I'm worried." Elena says, setting the table.

"If handling Jer is still a problem after dealing with all that, something is very wrong." I joke.

"Proof she's still human." Alaric says as we hear the front door open.

"You're just in time, we're cooking." Elena says as Jeremy walks in.

"Sorry, just passing through." He heads for the fridge.

"What are you, a lone ranger? We haven't had a chance to catch up since I've been here." I say from my spot on the counter.

"Look, can we do this later Lexx?"

"Well, I thought we'd all stay in, have a meal together like a typical family," Jeremy raises his eyebrow. "Well a _atypical_ family." Alaric rewords.

"Why?" He closes the fridge.

"Because you got fired and didn't tell anyone." Elena voices.

"Busted! Now sit down." I gesture to a seat at the table.

"I made plans with Tyler, he's right outside." Jeremy didn't want to keep him waiting. I'm starting to think you have poor judgment skills when it comes to people, Jeremy. _Maybe you're too high to judge them._

"Wait," Alaric must've missed something. "When did you start hanging out with Tyler Lockwood?"

"I don't know, does it matter?" He was _sired_. To _Klaus._

"In case you forgot, he's sired to the guy trying to kill us."

"You mean _us_ ," Jeremy corrects. "You've been gone the last year." And completely unaware of what was happening and didn't have to deal with the fallout of Katherine and Klaus' actions when they decided to use him and everyone else has leverage in their schemes.

"You know I didn't have a hand in that," How could he throw that in my face like it was my decision to keep me in the dark? "But you do in being friends with Tyler."

"Jeremy, he's dangerous." Elena says.

"He can still hear you, he's right outside."

"Good, that means he knows he's not welcomed here!" I yell at the front door.

"Besides, you of all people are going to lecture me on who I can and can't hang out with?"

"Elena usually hangs out with people who aren't sired to psychotic hybrids." I was on the verge of knocking him out.

"What is with the attitude?" Elena folds her arms.

"Whatever, this is lame. Tyler's waiting." He goes to move towards the door.

"Oh, no," Elena blocks Jeremy's path. "You're not going anywhere, especially not with Tyler."

"I'm with her on this, Jer," Alaric was putting his foot down. "Sorry."

"You want to stay in?" He could sped the day home. "Fine," Jeremy yells to the front door. "Let's all stay in then. Yo, Tyler, come on in!"

"Jeremy-" Elena starts to shout, but Tyler is already opening the front door.

* * *

Damon is pouring himself a glass of scotch. He senses something and turns around. Klaus is standing there.

"I think it's about time we had a drink, don't you?" Klaus loved that the Salvatores never locked their doors. Why would they when they were the things going bump in the night.

"I'd say we're overdue."

"Well, you've been so busy, what with all your plotting and scheming." And he'd come too close three days ago.

"You know me...never miss a chance to plan an epic failure." He'd lost the oak stake, he had another person to keep safe in the form of Lexx, and Bonnie was keeping something from him. He swallows the thoughts down with a draw of scotch.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," He descends down the three steps before coming to stand in front of Damon. "Who could have guessed your own brother would betray you?" He questions smugly.

"Well, I did have a front row seat when your sister lied to you." Damon finds comfort as the smile slips for Klaus face.

"Yeah, well, she's fickle, that one," She would be daggered for the rest of his immortal life when he got a hold of her. "And you say you have no idea of her whereabouts?"

"That's the thing with younger siblings," He laughs. "You just... never know what they're going to do," He smiles and takes another sip. "Drink?"

* * *

"Thanks." Tyler says at the glass of water Jeremy gives him.

"This is weird; Klaus has hybrids stalking me, and now you're just sitting in our kitchen." Elena was feeling uneasy.

"Look, maybe I should go." Tyler gets up from the table.

"No, stay. You're not doing anything." Jeremy places the salad on the table. He's being a freakin' guard dog, only difference is now he can do it inside the house.

"Unless you have to, you know, check in with your hybrid master?" Elena asks with sarcasm.

"Even if you don't have to, you should leave anyways." I say from my position on the wall. _If I even think he's gonna make a move, this wolfs banes knife is going in his hybrid neck._

"It's not like that, Elena." Tyler laughs. They just didn't get it.

"Tell me Tyler, what is the difference between being sired and being compelled?" Alaric asks with interest.

"Yeah, because they both sound like being somebody's bitch to me. What are you gonna do if he tells you to kill yourself?" Now I had peaked my own interest.

"Compulsion…that's just mind control, like hypnosis. And being sired is… it's like faith. You do something because you believe it's the right thing." Tyler explains, ignoring my last question. _He should go explain this to Caroline._

"So, you believe that serving Klaus is the right thing?" Elena didn't buy that.

"I don't serve him. Klaus released me from my curse that was ruining my life, I owe him for that." Now he didn't have to worry about losing control and risk biting someone.

"You might lose Caroline, do you owe him for that too?" I leave my spot on the wall to step closer to the table.

"What if he asked you to…jump off a bridge?" Alaric asks Tyler, revisiting my earlier question.

"He wouldn't and even if he did, I'd be fine. I'm a hybrid." Tyler assures us.

* * *

Damon pours Klaus and himself a drink and hands Klaus one of the glasses.

"Cheers, mate."

"Down the hatch."

"You know, we've actually got a lot in common, you and I." They were both ruthless when it came to getting what they wanted and made no apologies.

"Really? Well, yeah, maybe we can bond over our mutual loathing of my brother," He was dead to him. "Why are you so mad at him? He stole something?"

"My family, the Originals. I had them daggered, boxed-up awaiting the day when I saw fit to wake them. And he went in and pinched the bloody lot." He would be impressed if he weren't so angry that Stefan stole from him. He's not sure if it's the pull he takes from the scotch or the thought that leaves a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

"Of course he did," He had a habit of being unpredictable when he was on human blood. "Such a buzzkill, my baby bro. Well, I'd love to find him, just the trouble is, I sure as hell don't work for you." Stefan may have screwed them over, but he had the only thing that was keeping Klaus from coming after them and he'd be stupid if he gave the information up even if he did know where he was hiding the coffins. Klaus smiles haughtily.

"You know, your drink stinks of vervain, so I can't compel you. There'd be no point in killing you because you're actually the one with the most help of getting me what I need, and yet, it would seem a demonstration is in order," Coffins or not, he wasn't gonna bend to Stefan's will just because he had want he needed. Damon swallows tensely at Klaus' threat. "Perhaps I wasn't clear enough when I told you to find, Stefan. Well, it seems you people respond best to displays of violence. Why don't you take this as an example of my reach," He takes out his phone and calls someone. "There he is! So, that thing I told you to do...why don't you go ahead and get on with it?"

* * *

"Let's say the water is filled with vervain, that's gonna slow you down," I smirk. "Now what teen wolf?"

"Okay. So, what if he asked you to rip your own heart out?" Elena was adding fuel to the mental fire we were building around Tyler.

"Again, he wouldn't." Now he was getting upset.

"What if he did?" Elena repeats, leaning on the table.

"I don't know, then I'd rip out my heart!" He yells and I almost miss Jeremy's phone ringing.

Jeremy looks shocked, while Alaric looks sad, but satisfied at Tyler confirming what he already knew. I can't say anything.

"You guys sound just like Caroline, getting freaked out over something you don't understand." Tyler says exasperated.

"You're right Tyler, I don't understand. Klaus has terrorized every single one of us, and you're just blindly loyal to him." Elena still couldn't understand his reasoning.

"You're overthinking it. I can still make my own decisions." Him being sired wasn't gonna change that.

"Until Niklaus says otherwise." I say sadly.

"What was that about?" Elena asks as Jeremy gets off the phone.

"It was nothing." Jeremy responds, taking a seat at the table.

"Um, thanks for the food offer, but…" Tyler trails off.

"You have to leave or did you sense that no one wants you here?" Whatever the reason, I just wanted him gone.

"Next time," Alaric finishes has Tyler makes his way out the front door. "Well, that was illuminating." Alaric says, making his way to the counter.

"No, that was a test that I almost failed," I say, making my way to the fridge. "Someone is testing my patience."

"So, Tyler Lockwood is a lunatic who has access to our house."

"Who knows? Maybe when a full moon comes, all invitations are void." I look up from the fridge to catch Elena smiling at me.

"I mean, this whole sire bond thing is wild. I don't even think Tyler's fully aware of what little reason lies behind what he's saying. It's-it's his weird cult logic." Alaric says, explaining Tyler's behavior.

"Well, great. That's a wonderful influence for you, Jer," Elena turns around to look at Jeremy, but he's gone. "Jeremy?"

"That's his ring." Alaric spots it on a plate.

"Where'd he go?" She puts the ring up.

"Better question, why'd he take off?" Following Alaric outside, we find Jeremy standing in the middle of the street.

"What is he doing?" Elena asks has she sees a car speeding around the corner. "Oh my, God." Elena starts running to from the porch to get to him.

"JEREMY GILBERT, MOVE YOUR ASS OUT OF THE WAY!" I scream as follow her.

"JEREMY!" Alaric yells, rushing past us.

"JEREMY! JEREMY, MOVE!" Elena screams as the car gets closer and he still hasn't moved.

Jeremy keeps standing in the middle of the street, not moving. Alaric shoves Jeremy to the side, before the car hits him, but collides with the windshield, rolling of the hood of the car, and lands on the road.

"Uncle Ric, oh, God open your eyes! Uncle Ric, you're gonna be fine. Just keep breathing!" I turn him over. Elena is there a second later, watching as the SUV comes back around.

"There I go again, bumping into people." Tony says, as he lets down the window.

"Well you better hope you don't bump into me, 'cause there's gonna be an arrow in your chest the next time you see me." I drip every word with malice and a promise as he drives away.

"He's gonna be alright," Elena reaches for Jeremy's face. "Are you okay?" He dart his eyes around frantically.

"I don't understand." Jeremy was still trying to figure out what had happened, why he was on the ground, why Ric was covered in blood.

"Alaric just saved your life! What is there to understand?" Tears were running down my face.

"Alexandra..." Had he done this, had he made her cry?

"Who was that on the phone earlier?" Elena asks.

"It was Klaus." Jeremy answers Elena a second later. He would recognize the accent anywhere.

"You were compelled, Jeremy. We've got to get him inside, help me." Elena says in a hurry.

* * *

"How is he?" Damon asks closing the front door.

"He's dead, but he had his ring. Now we just wait." Elena answers.

"Jeremy, why aren't you wearing vervain?" He couldn't smell it on him. "Where's you bracelet?"

"I don't know." _You'd think he would know when he's being used._

"Don't worry," I assure him. "When we find it, I'll staple it to your wrist." I smile darkly.

"Lexx..." Jeremy lets his sentence hang, unable to say anything else. He didn't like her looking at him like he was the bad guy.

"Lexx, it was Tyler." Elena tries calming me down.

"He should know better than this!"

"I just didn't want him feeling like we were isolating ourselves from him," Jeremy explains. After he had didn't warn the about Klaus having hybrids at the Homecoming party and had shot Caroline with vervain to make sure she didn't get hurt, everyone was a bit wary of him. "He can't help being sired to Klaus."

"Your sympathy for the devil, just got my Uncle ran over by a car." His face takes on a defeated look as he leans against the sofa.

"At least now we know why he was hanging out with you; it was to get you off vervain." Elena turns to Jeremy.

"Klaus is trying to send us a message. He wants us to find Stefan, who stole his coffins full of his dead family members." Damon reasons.

"Coffins?" Elena eyes find mine. _Bonnie's dream._

"Yep. So all we have to do is find four coffins and voila, no one else on your family's Christmas list has to die."

"Wait, that's your big plan," Jeremy gets up from his spot on the floor next to Alaric on the sofa. "To steal back four dead Originals, so this evil hybrid doesn't kill me and everyone else we know?"

"You're one to talk," I get up from the sofa. "Who invites the hybrid who's sired to the psychopath that's trying to kill us, wait, your dumbass!" I yell. He tries to take a step closer to me, but I wave him off.

"You got a better idea?" Damon gently pushes me back down to the sofa.

"Yeah. Let's get the hell out of here, pack our bags and go." He suggests.

"I understand you're beyond pissed at yourself, has you should be, but don't go acting impulsively." I warn him.

"You haven't been here in three hundred sixty-five days, what claim do you have?" I cock my head back.

"The last time you wanted to be impulsive, you found your way to a bottle of pills and swallowed it down with Anna's blood." I remind him.

"Let's just calm down here." Elena shakes her head to stop the flashbacks that are threatening to plague her mind. Jeremy's eyes soften as he lets out a sigh.

"I'm not that same stupid kid anymore." That kid was weak and didn't know anything that was happening in his town.

"And what do think running is?" I ask.

"Oh, you mean the same thing you did when you left town?" When you left me.

"No, I waited until the threat was gone instead of running away like a scared little kid who couldn't face his monsters."

"Jeremy-" Elena calls out.

"NO!" He was tired of this speech. "This happens every time, no matter what we do. You get on my case about school and work, who cares?" He walks towards the stairs. "None of us are gonna to make it out of this town alive." He had already signed his death certificate. I exhale a deep breath.

"He said he wants his family back." Elena had a determined look in her eyes. _Don't say anything stupid._

"No. No, I know what you're thinking. The answer's no." Damon's voice was one of finality.

"If we give him Rebekah-"Elena starts to say. _It would seem I was too nice to say 'stupid'._

"Yeah, then Klaus undaggers her and the first thing she does is kill you. Frying pan, fire. Not an option." Damon shoots down.

"Undaggering one-half of the crazy Original duo is not an option. We need to focus on the coffins." The same coffins Bonnie had been dreaming about.

"Klaus' coffins, how many did you say there were?" Elena asks Damon.


	2. Chapter 2

A New Deal Changes Your Suffering Part II

"Hey, Elena." Bonnie says as she answers her phone.

"Klaus is looking for four coffins, just like in your dream. Guessing it's not just stress." Elena was glad she had figured it out.

"Yeah, the Witches were sending you a message and for once, it wasn't cryptic." I add.

"Elena, don't get involved. Whatever Klaus wants, stay as far away from it as you can."

"Niklaus won't let her. Bonnie," I exhale a weak sigh. "He tried to kill, Jeremy." My voice cracks on his name. The line is quiet for a second.

"What do you want me to do?" They may have never dated, but Bonnie wanted to make sure Jeremy wasn't hurt.

"We need you to come with us just in case things get out of hand. Look, I know that you don't think that your locator spell still works, but we have to at least try." She was desperate.

"We don't need a locator spell." Bonnie knew where he exactly where he was.

"I'm guessing, Stefan has come in contact with you." _About what I wonder._

"Yeah," Bonnie admits guiltily. "He has." Elena exhales unsteadily.

"I'll stay here, wait until Uncle Ric wakes up, make sure Jeremy doesn't do anything stupid. You go."

* * *

"Thought you said this place lost all its mojo." Damon says walking towards the Old Witches House.

"The dead Witches were angry at me for bringing Jeremy back to life." Bonnie explains.

"I guess now they have something they want you to know." Elena chimes in.

"Yeah. Like, never bring a boyfriend back to life when he's still in love with his ex." Damon couldn't understand what Bonnie saw in the kid.

"We never dated Damon," Bonnie says irritatingly. "He had a crush on me that went nowhere."

"Stefan?" Elena calls out once she enter the Witches house.

"Come on Stef," Damon calls out. "Olly olly oxen free," He says unenthusiastically. Damon suddenly groans out loudly before running into a dark corner. "Really, still?" He asks.

"What?" Elena was confused.

"The Witchy spirits aren't a big fan, and they used their juju to screw with my daylight ring. " Damon yells at the ceiling.

"Then wait outside." Elena suggests.

"Elena-" Damon starts.

"I'm not leaving until I know if he's here." Elena leaves him in the corner.

"I'm gonna be with her, don't worry," She barely contains her laughter. "But you should probably go before they stick you there permanently."

"Bite me, Bon Bon."

* * *

"That didn't go over well." Damon says as Elena comes out of the house.

"You think now is the right time to state the obvious?" Bonnie takes a sit on the porch.

"Don't even start, Damon." Elena states, walking past Damon.

"Let me talk to him."

"You can't get in! The Witches won't let you." Elena yells, taking her frustration out on Damon.

"Here, take my car keys. You go deal with your brother, I'll deal with mine. Meet me around back, Bonnie." Damon runs full speed towards the Old Witches House.

"Wow. That was impressive. But the coffins aren't here, so you can go away now." Stefan stands up from the chair he's occupying.

"I don't care about the coffins. We need to talk."

"Ok," Stefan takes his seat again. "Let's talk."

"Nothing's ever easy with you, is it?" Everyone thought Damon was the stubborn one, but if only they knew how Stefan was back in the day.

Damon rushes towards Stefan, pushing him against a wall. Even with the sunlight burning his skin, Damon makes it outside with Stefan. Throwing him on the ground, Damon shoves a tree branch into Stefan's stomach.

"That's for screwing up my plan. You stop me from killing Klaus and you steal his family. Why? It doesn't make sense," Damon twists the branch deeper. "ANSWER ME!"

"Piece by piece, Klaus took everything from me. I'm doing the same to him." Stefan grunts each word out with pain.

"You didn't need to do anything, it could've been over!" Bonnie shouts.

"I had him Stefan! Why'd you screw it up?" Damon was two seconds away from twisting the branch again.

"I DID IT TO SAVE YOU!" Stefan yells, before he launches Damon off of him.

"What do you mean you did it to save Damon?"

"No. No, way," Damon says from his spot on the ground. He had his switch off, he wouldn't have given a damn about his safety in that state. "You didn't do this for me."

"He was one step ahead us. If Klaus dies, one of his hybrids would've killed you."

"When are you gonna get it through your head," Damon shoves the tree branch back into Stefan. "Stop saving me."

* * *

"Don't to it, Jeremy." Tyler doesn't have to turn around to know it's him.

"Why not?" Jeremy has the crossbow aimed at Tyler's head. "You stab my back, I stab yours."

"I didn't stab you in the back!" Tyler leaps off the fallen tree he's sitting on. He was following orders.

"I guess what we call backstabbing, is just another day in the life of Tyler Lockwood." I say heatedly.

"Is that why you wanted to hang out, to get me off the vervain?" Jeremy remembered what Elena had said.

"Klaus asked me to," He admits. "I never thought he would try to kill you." He didn't know Klaus would take it that far.

"Caroline told me he was gonna use you as the wolf sacrifice in the spell, why wouldn't you think he would kill Jeremy if it got him what he wanted?" I wanted to punch him.

"It's Klaus, Tyler. What did you think was going to happen?" Jeremy was shocked that Tyler would be so stupid.

"He doesn't care about you. All he wants is his family back," Tyler says, veins popping out of his neck. _Tell him to adopt._ Jeremy shoots a arrow a at Tyler, but he catches it. "What the hell!" He yells.

"Not nice when someone does something you don't expect them to do, huh?" I drip my voice with sarcasm.

"Whenever Klaus wants something, someone ends up dead. You think about that next time before you blindly do whatever he says." Jeremy walks away, leaving Tyler alone with me.

"Jer, you should get home, stay inside. He's not done with you." Tyler says. He almost sounded…dejected.

"Don't think you can get back into our good graces by warning us Tyler," I walk forward until I'm face to face with him. "Caroline may still put up with you, but you can cross Jer and I off that list." With that, I follow Jeremy.

"Klaus isn't gonna stop until gets all those coffins back, Lexx." Tyler replies.

* * *

"Ric, hey, when did you return to the living?" Elena asks, closing the front door. Why weren't Lexx and Jeremy here?

"Oh, just a few minutes ago. How's Jeremy?" He was still sore.

"Hating life, hating the fact that we can't even have a family dinner without somebody dying before dessert," She sees him reach for his stomach. "Are you okay?"

Alaric's answer consists of coughing and blood coming out of his throat. "Oh, my god! I'm gonna call 911, just hang on."

"Ugh. Something's wrong," He collapses to the ground. "The ring." He grunts out.

"Ric, hold on."

* * *

"What happened?" The first paramedic asks.

"He got hit by car, and he's coughing up blood." Elena says choked up.

"Get his vitals. Pulse thready and weak, looks like internal bleeding. We got to get him out of here." The second paramedic voices.

"Let's move."

"Let's not and say we did," Tony says, appearing out of nowhere and compelling the paramedics to leave. "Why don't you two meet us at the hospital?"

"What? No, no, wait! You have to help him!" Elena yells in a panic as they leave. "What are you doing?"

"You can still save his life, Elena. Here, take my blood," He stretches his hand forward as he leans against the door frame. "I can't get in, so you're gonna have to invite me."

"No," Elijah having an invite was one Original too many for her. "Why are you doing this?"

"Klaus asked for his family, you didn't deliver."

"Ric, oh, my God," She rushes over to Alaric when he starts coughing up blood and turns him over. "I'm right here. Hey, look at me."

"He's gonna die. I would invite me in, Elena." Tony says right before he's shot with an arrow. Once he falls down, Elena see's Lexx and Jeremy standing behind him.

"Lexx, Jeremy." Elena sighs with relief.

"He's not dead yet." Jeremy makes his way into the house and making a beeline for the kitchen.

"I told you the next I saw you there would be an arrow in your chest," I launch another arrow into him. "And now your back."

"What are you doing?" Elena watches as Jeremy makes his way to Tony with a meat cleaver and chops his head off. "AAH!"

"Now he's dead. We got to get Alaric to the hospital, now." He drops the cleaver.

* * *

"You know what I can't figure out? Why save me?" Damon ponders. "Was it brotherly love, guilty conscience, is the switch on, is the switch off?"

"Do you have somewhere you need to be, Damon?" Stefan didn't need an interrogation.

"Ah, deflection," His favorite game. "That's not gonna work on me, I invented that."

"We're done. Can't you just go away?"

"Gladly," Bonnie turns to leave. "It's not like you're giving us anything that'll help kill Klaus."

"Not until," Damon grabs Bonnie by her elbow and turns her back around. "You tell me why you saved me. You owe me that."

"I don't owe you anything." He didn't owe him a reason just because he said so.

"Fine," Damon replies. "Next question. Why'd you steal the coffins?"

"Because Klaus' family is one weakness I can use against him." He answers quickly.

"So you keep saying. We need more than that, Stefan." Bonnie was tired of him being cryptic. She got enough of that from the Witches.

"You're not gonna kill him," Damon had been at this long enough to know the difference. "You know how I know, 'cause there was only one way to kill him, and you blew that to save me."

"You're wrong, Damon," Klaus didn't get to just live forever. "There's another way, there has to be." He vows.

"Fair enough. Whatever you guys are doing, I want in." He knew the witch was up to something when he saw her leave in a rush this morning at the Grill.

"I don't need your help." It was better this way.

"You go after Klaus, you're gonna have to be cutthroat and devious. I'm so much better at that than either of you." Damon was a master.

"You're gonna need more than an army of two," Bonnie voices. "And let's face it, we could use him." Damon gives Bonnie an impressed once over before looking back to Stefan.

"Come on, brother. What do you say? If you're gonna keep saving my life, at least make it for a good reason."

"You want Damon in?" Stefan looks at Bonnie.

"Yes." Bonnie answers.

"OK, but it's just me, you and Bonnie. Elena stays out of it."

"Deal." Damon agrees.

"Follow me." Stefan makes his way to the Old Witches House.

"I'm not so…welcome in there." He thinks back to earlier when he was stuck in the corner.

"It's nighttime and they can still do that? You really have to be careful who you piss off." Bonnie was impressed and Damon was annoyed at her being impressed.

"Don't you worry, Damon," Stefan says making his way into the house. "We all want the same thing," Once there down in the basement, Stefan points to the open space. "Have a look."

"What, Klaus is allergic to dust?" Damon looks around and finds an empty space.

"Look again, Damon." Bonnie responds as the coffins appear.

"Witch spirits hate Klaus as much as we do. They're using their powers to hide the coffins."

"So, if he comes in the house…" Damon trails off.

"He won't be able to find them." Stefan finishes.

* * *

Alaric inspects his ring as he waits to be discharged. A doctor enters the room.

"Mr. Saltzman, what are you doing up? You should be resting." How was this guy even standing up after getting hit by a car.

"Ah," Doctors didn't look like that when he was growing up. "I'm more of a walk it off kinda guy. Do I need to sign something?"

"Internal hemorrhaging, three broken ribs and a severe concussion; I have no idea how you're on your feet right now, but I need to run some more tests." He was a liability waiting to happen and she was curious to know how he could attempt to walk out of the hospital.

Lexx and Jeremy were waiting on him. "I actually have some place I need to be, but thank you, Dr..."

"...Fell. But the patients who follow my advice get to call me, Meredith." Her smile is flirty. Alaric laughs.

"Well, I appreciate your help, Dr. Fell." He walks past her, but she catches him before he can exit the room.

"Mr. Saltzman...what is your secret? Guardian angel or did you sell your soul to the devil?"

"Hmm," He ponders this. "A little of both." Meredith watches him through curious eyes as he leaves. He throws one last backward glance at her before rounding the corner.

* * *

"So, the ring brought you back to life, but it didn't heal you. Does that mean it's broken?" Jeremy wonders out loud while we walk through the hospital parking lot. _I hope not, that means it could happen to your ring too._

"I thought the whole point of having the ring was to protect you, how the hell is it broken?" What hadn't I missed while I was gone?

"I don't know, it's never happened like that before," He'd never got hit by a car before, maybe because it was a everyday thing that happened versus the time Damon murdered him, the same rules didn't apply. "I guess I have Damon's blood to thank for the fact that I'm still walking."

"He said to say you owe him a drink." Jeremy says.

"That's funny, I'd rather have head trauma," But he was already looking forward to sharing a drink with him at the Grill. "Hey, Jeremy…you okay?" Alaric was concerned after he found out he'd killed the hybrid from earlier.

"Why wouldn't I be? I chopped a hybrid's head off with a meat cleaver; just a typical Sunday, right?" There was a bite to his question. _Dammit, Jer._

"You can talk to me about this stuff, you know that right?" Alaric asks, letting Jeremy know he has a shoulder to lean on.

"What could you tell me that I don't already know? This is the way things are. It sucks, but I just got to get use to it." He leaves Alaric and Lexx.

"He had to kill someone today. Tony wasn't gonna stop until he got Elena to invite him in, he didn't have much of a choice," I watch Jeremy get farther down the parking lot. "I'm scared he's gonna break."

* * *

"Hey, can we talk?" I ask Jeremy, leaning against the door frame of his door.

"What did I do now?" He asks uninterested.

"You mean besides throw passive-aggressive statements at me all day?" He swivels his chair around.

"Lexx, that wasn't about you," I open my mouth to tell him differently. "Okay, most of it was." He admits.

"Is this 'cause I left?"

"I could've used you're help when I had to get close to Tyler to figure out what he was and it would've been nice having you here to help me when all this was going on."

"I talked you practically everyday on the phone and you had a chance, several in fact, to tell me about everything that was happening here and you chose not to!" If anyone had the right to be angry, it was me!

"It was to keep you safe!" She was one less person he had to worry about getting hurt. "And talking isn't the same thing!" It didn't make-up for her not being here.

"I don't need a white knight," I cross my arms. That wasn't his or anyone else's decision to make when it came to my safety. "And what did you want me to do," What exactly was sixteen year old me suppose to do? "Write letters?"

"STAY!" What was so wrong with him that everybody left? So this was less about me leaving and more of him feeling like I abandoned him.

"Jeremy," I whisper. "You just said that you wanted you and Elena to pack your bags and leave; so why is it that when I left, it's a problem?" Jeremy knew it was futile arguing with Lexx; he already knew what she would say and that every answer would be rational and leave him looking emotional. His shoulders sag as the fight leaves him.

"I lost my parents, Vicki, Anna, J-," He inhales sharply. Lexx didn't know about her yet. "Not involving you in anything that was happening here, it kept you safe, but it meant that I lost you too. I only had Elena." His mind is on auto pilot as his body guides him to his bed. How could he expect Lexx to fight back when he she didn't know there was fight happening?

"You were right when you said none of us would get out of here alive," He looks at me with regret. "But not because of Klaus or anyone else. It's easy to fall for the charm of a small town and if you're not careful, you can look up and miss that ten years have gone by because every street corner and person that you've met, looks exactly like it did when you were seventeen," Small town life got stifling after a while.

"I felt stuck here and I wasn't getting any better or worse and much has you needed me to stay, was as much has I needed to go. Regardless of vampires and witches, none us were gonna stay here forever; you wanted to be a comic book artist, Caroline wants to take over the world, and at one point, Tyler wanted to get as far away has possible from his Dad, and none of that could get accomplished by staying here." Jeremy drags a hand over his face.

"I hate it when you're right." The bed dips as I sit down next to him and lay my chin on his shoulder.

"Well, someone has to be wrong." And it usually wasn't me, so need to start now.

* * *

"Knock, knock." We look up to see Elena standing outside Jeremy's door from our spot huddled up on the bed together.

"What did I do now?" I didn't want to seat through a repeat performance. I knock his shoulder. He sighs. "Hey."

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier, about how we should pack up and go." Elena says, bringing up the statement Jeremy made earlier.

"It was in the heat of the moment, Elle. Jer was upset."

"Lexx is right," He hadn't meant any of that. "I'm sorry. I just thought we'd have a better chance in a big city away from everyone that know us."

"But you were right," She contests. "You shouldn't have to give up a normal life just because of me." Elena says sympathetically. What was Damon doing here?

"What's going on?" Jeremy asks confused, eyes shifting between Damon and I.

"Here's the thing, Jeremy," Damon voices as comes in the room. "You're gonna go out town for a little while, a long while. You'll stay with some nice family friends in Denver, you're gonna be in a new school and meet new girls, _living_ girls," He emphases as he starts the compulsion. "You're gonna drink a few beers, take an art class. You can do whatever you want." Damon compels. _I don't care how bad Elena thinks Mystic Falls is right now, this is NOT okay!_

"Everything but have a choice in the matter." I say trying to wipe the tears away as I rush past Uncle Ric.

"Tell him he's gonna leave Mystic Falls behind and never think twice about it." Alaric was sad he had to this, but he wanted Jeremy safe. _I'm not staying here for this._ Looking at Elena for conformation, Damon adds more to the compulsion.

"You're gonna leave Mystic Falls behind and never think twice about it. You're gonna have a better life Jeremy." Damon says, finishing the compulsion.

As I'm waiting downstairs, I see Elena, Alaric, and Damon make their way from Jeremy's room.

"You, your doe brown eyes, Alaric, and lover boy over here, can all go to hell!" I yell.

"Lexx, it's what's best for him right now." Alaric just wanted to protect him.

"It's not saf-"Elena starts to say.

"I know, I know; 'It's not safe for him, he could get hurt!', screw you, Elena!" I just got back and now I was losing him and a few days shy of his birthday no less. "I don't see you having Damon compel anyone else around here!" She shrinks back at my accusation. "Either Jeremy would leave with you or stay here and fight, and now… he can't do either because big Sis is here to save the day!" I shove past her to go help Jeremy pack for Denver.

* * *

"I feel like a horrible person." Elena leans against the railing on the porch. _And you should! I hope Damon doesn't see me from Jer's window._

"You just saved his life, Elena," He consoles her. "Take it from me, strange is bad, dead is worse."

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened last time I asked you to compel him." Elena paces back and forth.

"He found out, he got over it. Again, he's not dead Elena," Damon reminds her. "He's so lucky to have you for a sister." _Laying it on kinda thick there, huh Damon?_

"Thank you." Elena whispers.

"No problem." Damon smirks. _Yeah, he was smirking._

"Not just for this Damon, for everything. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here." _Seriously? All he did was compel Jeremy, Caroline could've done that._

"You should know this Elena, Stefan didn't screw us over," He pauses. "He screwed us over, but he had a good reason." _I knew he loved Stefan._

"What?'' If Stefan had a reason for saving Klaus, then she wanted to know.

"He saved Klaus to save me. Then he stole the coffins to get even."

"Damon, if he did it to protect you, then, why would he even do that? I mean, oh, what does it even mean?" She was trying to figure it out, but Stefan's actions were too confusing to follow.

"It means I'm an idiot, 'cause I thought for one second that I wouldn't have to feel guilty anymore." What are you talking about, Damon?

"What are you talking about, guilty for what?" _There you go, ask questions I want to know the answers to!_

"For wanting what I want." Damon looks Elena in her eyes. _Are you kidding me right now? Stefan did_ not _save your ass so you could hit on Elena!_

"Damon…" Elena whispers. What the hell are you doing whispering his name all sultry like?

"No, I know. Believe me, I get it. My brother's girl and all," _Remember, Stefan and just walk away, Damon._ "No. No. You know what? If I'm gonna feel guilty about something, I'm gonna feel guilty about this," Damon kisses Elena. _No need to guess why it's quiet._ "Good night." Damon leaves Elena to think about the kiss.

"Hey," Jeremy calls out to get my attention. "Are you okay, Lexx?" Jeremy asks once he sees my eyes watering.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I sniffle. "It's just…I just got back and now you're the one leaving," I lie smoothly. "I thought I was suppose to give _you_ something for your birthday. He laughs.

"Yeah, I know. But we'll still talk to each other," He smiles. "I'll even write you letters," I give a weak smile. Wasn't the response he was going for. "It's gonna be okay." He knew she would miss him, but he didn't expect tears.

"It won't be, Jer." I shake my head, sending tears flying left and right. Jeremy holds his arms out.

"Come here." I crash into him, throwing my arms around him and clutching at his shoulders as he wraps his arms around me and holds me against him tight. I feel the muscles under his shirt flex as he runs his hand up and down my back, trying to calm me down. Since when did he have muscles?

"History is repeating itself again." My speech is muffled in his chest and for that, I'm thankful.


	3. Chapter 3

Caution, a Bamon moment is up ahead.

* * *

It's Our Town With His Rules Part I

"So, what's got you all worked up?" Alaric noticed Elena seemed to be hitting the punching bag harder than usual.

"I didn't really sleep last night."

"Probably has something to do with compelling your brother to leave four days ago. Just a guess." I say from the sofa. I would've gone with Stefan this morning, but I was trying to stay away from Damon a little bit longer after the kiss between him and Elena.

"Lexx, I traded Rebekah's body for Jeremy's safety and I wanted to make sure that if Klaus didn't keep his promise of Rebekah not hurting Jeremy, at least Rebekah can't get to him." I wave my hands dismissing her.

"Yeah, me neither. Probably has something to do with dying," He grunts at Elena's kick landing on the punching bag. "Lexx stayed here to make sure I was okay."

" _Are_ you okay?" Elena asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think the ring however, is running low on batteries; too bad Walmart doesn't sell them."

"If those rings have a shelf life, Jeremy's not protected. Neither are you." Elena lands other kick to the punching bag.

"Uh-oh, Uncle Ric, you might wanna be careful. Sounds like you're next on the compelling hit-list." I say snarkily.

"Nice, you're getting stronger." He purposely ignores me and compliments Elena on her kick.

"Just channeling frustration," She removes her gloves, signaling shes's done. "I need coffee."

"I guess Damon's compulsion worked; Jeremy was going on about his new school in Denver." _Not the only thing Damon made work._

"Have you, uh, talked to Damon today?" Elena was nervous what the answer could be, what he could have told them.

"Not really in a talking mood with Damon. You talked to him recently, not like anything has changed in the last few days or so." I say coyly.

"No. Why?" Uncle Ric answers.

"No reason." She takes a sip of her coffee. Oh, this was gonna be a big blowout.

* * *

Bonnie is trying a spell to open the coffin, but it's still locked shut.

"Why won't you open!" Bonnie yells, shaking the coffin. The coffins disappear as she hears the floorboards squeaking, signaling there's someone else in the house. "Hello, is someone there?"

Damon and Stefan are walking up to the house. "You didn't say anything to Elena about the coffins, right?" Stefan asks Damon.

"No, I said I wouldn't."

"I know what you said, I also know what Bonnie said." Bonnie had found a loophole in their agreement. She promised Stefan she wouldn't say anything to Elena. Not Lexx. Damon chuckles. He could always count on Bonnie to find a loophole.

"Why are you asking me then?"

"Because, protecting the location of Klaus' family is my number one priority right now and the fewer people who know the better." He was referring to Lexx. Damon stops walking. Stefan follows his lead.

"What, what is it?" Stefan asks. Damon motions for him to stay. Damon walks into the house and makes his way down to the basement where he sees Bonnie walking up the staircase. He puts his finger to his lips telling her to be quiet. A hybrid walks out of the house and runs into Stefan. The hybrid vamps out and before he can bite Stefan, Damon rips his heart out.

"These hybrids are really bringing the neighborhood down," He throws the heart on the ground before walking up to Bonnie. "Hey, you okay?" He can see she's shaken up. Bonnie laughs humorlessly.

"You think I'd be use to this by now."

"Lexx mentioned something about it being Vampire Barbie's birthday," Damon says. "I'll drive you so you're not late." She didn't think she'd be able to concentrate on road. Bonnie smiles slightly.

"Maybe you should clean your hands first." Bonnie gestures to his hands that are covered in blood. Damon ducks his head slightly.

"Right," He quickly races into the house and cleans his hands before coming back out. "Now we can go." Stefan watches them walk to Bonnie's car and watches as Damon opens Bonnie's car door and speeds towards the driver side, before driving off.

"Pretty sure, _I_ was the one who almost got their heart ripped out."

* * *

Caroline parks her car. She sees Tyler and gets out of her car. "I can't talk to you." She rushes past him, but he takes her arm to stop her.

"I know you're upset, but-"

"Upset?" No, she was upset when Erin sprained her ankle and she had to redo the routine to fit the uneven number of girls on the squad. She was angry that Tyler couldn't see why this was so bad. "You almost got Jeremy killed! And before you ask me to understand or to support you, can you at least tell me what you're planning to do about your sire bond to Klaus?"

"There's nothing that I can do about it, Caroline. That's the point," Lexx was right when she said he should've known Klaus would kill Jeremy if it meant getting what he wanted. He sighs. "I just wanted you to know that I understand why you can't be with me. Even though I want to put you first, before anyone, I can't," His voice cracks without his permission. "I'll never be able to. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just want you to know that." Caroline bites the inside of her cheek to focusing on something other than the tears building up behind her eyes.

"I wish you had stayed that same immature, rude jock you were." It would've been easier than way.

"I love you," He pulls her into him as he wraps his arms around her and kisses her forehead. She squeezes him tight before letting go. He folds the bracelet in her hand. "Happy birthday."

* * *

Damon is hitting the coffin with a shovel trying to get it open.

"You're wasting your time, Damon. If Bonnie couldn't get open with a spell, I doubt a shovel will do the trick." Stefan voices.

"I could've gone to school with Bonnie and Elena to help with Caroline's birthday locker instead of watching you try to wake the dead." I wanted to be there, but getting the coffin open was more important.

"Lexx, you knew what you signed up for," I roll my eyes at Stefan. "Did you bury the body?" He asks Damon.

"Yeah," Damon throws me an agitated look. "Any sign of our little hybrid buddies?" _Hey, at least I can keep my mouth to myself._

"Nope, just the dead one." Stefan answers.

"Maybe if we figure out how many of the siblings are dead, we might be able to make our suspect list shorter." I make my way towards the locked coffin.

"Alright, Klaus has six siblings. Rebekah is with Klaus, there was one dead kid in the Old world, one dead kid in the New world, which leaves Elijah and two others. So, whose in the lockbox?" Damon asks after factoring the siblings in.

"No idea. But whatever's in here, Bonnie seems to think it will help us kill Klaus. So, as soon as you can get this thing open, the sooner we'll know she's right." Stefan answers.

"You'd think the spirits of a bunch of dead Witches that can make a coffin invisible, that they'd figure out how to open one! Fine, don't help!" Damon yells at the open space.

"Dead or not, you realize they can still kill you, right?"

"You know none of this is going to do us any good, if Klaus' hybrid friends find our hiding spot, right? They need to go away." Stefan was a bit pissed.

"We're not exactly an army," What was he expecting with four people? "It's not like Niklaus is forthcoming with his weaknesses."

"Why don't just ask Klaus to pack a bag and take a long vacation while you're at it. How about you keep the peace? Don't draw attention to the very things that we're trying to hide." Damon fires back.

"I'm not gonna to play defense when I have what Klaus wants. He does what I say or I dump his family to the bottom of the ocean." Stefan replies back.

"Then he kills you and everyone you know, like, I don't know me." Damon wasn't ready to die just yet.

"When Niklaus gets mad, he gets even, and people I love get hurt. Think about everyone else." I was trying to back pedal Stefan's train of thought.

"He's bluffing, Lexx. His family means more to him than anything else."

"You sure about that?" Damon wasn't convinced.

"I guess there's only one way to find out, right?"

"Did we not learn anything from Damon when he did the same thing to Katherine? Think it through, Stefan!"

"She's right. The only way to call someone's bluff, Stefan, is to be willing to lose everything if you're wrong." Damon says exasperatedly.

"Stef, where are you going?" I ask at his retreating form.

"To call Klaus' bluff."

* * *

Klaus closes Rebekah's coffin.

"Sweet dreams, Rebekah. Show her to her room, would you, love?" Klaus asks a petite girl with brown skin.

"Sure." She rolls the coffin away.

"I'm surprised you're still in town. I gave you your freedom, you could have gone anywhere." Klaus says, sensing Stefan's presence.

"I live here, Klaus."

"Well, if we're playing this game, then I was here first."

"Then you can leave first and take your hybrids with you." I respond. _I assume they aren't potty trained yet._

"Ah, I see you've brought the newest addition to your group along with you," Klaus looks me up and down while swirling the wine in his glass. "Or should I say, returning member? I hear you're a bit of a mediator, is it safe to assume that's why you came?"

"Nice to know you brushed up me." Klaus watches me with a curious gaze before Stefan steals his attention away.

"You know, I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere, kind of like fleas. I want them gone." Stefan says, authority ringing in each word. I'll admit, he's good at playing the bad guy.

"I kinda like having them around. You know I'm hurt; I hoped that I'd free you and we'd pick up where we left off, but here you are, guzzling vervain like the rest of them I'm sure," He refills his glass with more wine. "So much for friendship." He tips his glass towards Stefan in a faux toast. _And here I was thinking friendships we're built on common interests_.

"Friends don't strip friends of their free will," Stefan retorts. "Lexx is an example off that."

"How sweet of you to say, Stef." I lay my hand on my heart.

"Ok, granted, that was a little extreme. I get a little moody, just ask my siblings. Speaking of whom…don't you think it's about time he hand them over, Alexandra or are you too engrossed in your cell phone to buy attention?" Klaus questions. "You're in the presence of an Original, the first of the vampires, can't you appreciate that?" Bonnie had just found out Jeremy was moving to Denver and she didn't know how to feel about it; on the one hand she and Jeremy were never a thing, but she'd known him her whole life and now he was leaving.

"Sorry, I was dealing with the fallout of your hit and run from earlier this week," I put the phone back in my back pocket. "Tell me, how is Tony?" He laughs lightly.

"Klaus get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls or I will remove them myself."

"You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'm gonna be forced to retaliate, kill people." I can't help but to think of my earlier conversation with Damon and Stefan.

"Do whatever you want, I don't really care," Stefan says coolly. "Or you know what? Maybe I do. Maybe I care so much, that I drop Elijah into the Arctic." _Let's keep him dry, Stefan_.

"Well, maybe I'd be willing to lose one brother, if it meant killing yours." Klaus replies _. Well that didn't sound good for Damon._

"Niklaus would still have three brothers left. You have just the one, Stef." Talking him down the ledge he was on, was proving to be a challenge.

"Listen to her Stefan or it'll get messy again."

"Try me," He smiles confidently. "Let's find out." Klaus grins, showing his teeth.

"Is everything okay?" The hybrid from earlier asks, walking into the room.

"Everything's fine, Mindy. Stefan and his friend were just leaving after failing to make their point." Klaus wasn't affected by Stefan's threat. Before Klaus can blink, Mindy's head is rolling across the floor.

"Well one down. You may want to, uh, send the rest of them away before it gets messy…again." Stefan throws Klaus' words back at him. I follow behind, still dazed that Stefan just killed one of Niklaus' hybrids.

* * *

A hybrid named Daniel walks in with Mindy's head in a bag. "What do you want me to do with her head?" Daniel asks Klaus. Yes, this was exactly what Klaus wanted; the reminder that he had one less hybrid.

"Just get rid of it. Burn it. I honestly don't care, Daniel." He would have to pick smarter wolves next time. Daniel walks away as Tyler enters the room.

"You called? I'm here," He looks over to see a headless body. "What happened?"

"What happened is, Stefan had two paths in front of him and he chose the one that made me angry. I need you to help me to do something about that."

"Can't you just leave me out of it?" He had a dozen different hybrids to do his bidding, why couldn't he pick one of them?

"What would be the point of that?" His face is stoic and his tone bored.

"Seriously man, can't you just ask another hybrid to do your bidding?" He had no one; he couldn't hang out with his friends because if they talked about anything that was related to Klaus he would tell him and he'd just broken up with Care a few hours ago. "I lost my friends, my girlfriend." He needed a break. That gave Klaus an idea.

"Right, your girlfriend, about her, I need you to bite her."

"What?" What the hell was he talking about?

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"A hybrid bite will kill a vampire." Why would he tell him to do that? Klaus was fully aware of that fact.

"Yeah, I know exactly what it will do. Stefan pushed me too far so I'm pushing back."

"I'm not biting Caroline because your golden boy pissed you off." Him getting Jeremy of vervain was bad, but at least he could get go to a hospital and have surgery, get medicine, but a bite would kill Caroline in a day or so.

"Tyler, I've been supernaturally blessed with the good fortune of a sire bond to you so, one could consider this me putting your undying loyalty to the test." Tyler steps up in Klaus' face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The arrogant smile that threatened to take over Klaus' face morphes into a thin line. "I'm not hurting, Caroline." Klaus smiles.

"Alright. I'm disappointed, but you know, it's your choice, free will and all that. I'll find another way to strike at Stefan. You can go now." Tyler walks away, tense, but relieved.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Carebear!" I say once Caroline picks up the phone.

"Thanks, Lexx, but I'm still waiting on my actual gift." Care laughs and I can hear her closing a door in the background.

"I was hoping the bracelet I helped Tyler pick out, _was_ a gift." He'd come by the house two days ago and begged me to help him find a gift for Caroline; I'd only agreed to in hopes of Niklaus hearing about it and getting pissed that I'd go somewhere with Tyler, let alone talk to him, after he'd almost got Jeremy killed.

"Lexx…" She trails off.

"All he wanted to do was tell you 'Happy Birthday' and see you for five minutes, was that so evil?"

"No, but…how am I gonna get through this, Lexx?" Her voice was shaking. I didn't know what to tell her. I was still trying to process it myself.

"Maybe the birthday gift I left in your house can help." I hint.

"Well, I know you're not in there since you're keeping an eye on Stefan and Damon, so what is it?"

"Who knows, but I do know I would much rather be there, than this boring fundraiser." I say as I pace back and forth on the pebbled ground.

"Make sure you drink plenty of champagne for me I'm not really feeling my birthday this year," And Tyler breaking up with her wasn't helping. "I have to go see what this gift you bought me is."

"I'm underage, Care." I say laughing, hanging up the phone. Turning to go back in the house, I see Niklaus talking to Mayor Lockwood.

"An Original?" "The first vampires. They can compel us and normal stakes don't work on them." "I leave for a year and you guys upgrade to a newer model?" "If that's the way you want to sum it up, sure." "Is it too late to go back home and pretend I have no knowledge of this?" "This is home, Lexx." Yeah, home sweet hell.

* * *

 **A/N:** Tell me what you think of it.


	4. Chapter 4

It's Our Town With His Rules Part II

"What are you doing? You're gonna ruin your career." Alaric overhears a unknown man tell Meredith. What did he know about hard work?

"Says the guy who got his job from his Dad." Alaric lets out a slight snort. He scoffs.

"Do you have any idea what you're messing with?" She was putting peoples' lives in danger. If she was gonna get reprimanded, it would be from someone she had at least an ounce of respect for.

"I know what I'm doing." She goes to leave him, but he pulls her arm back.

"Damn it, Meredith." Know it was time for Alaric to get involved.

"Back off, Brian."She shoves is hand away.

"Everything all right here?" He wasn't trying to draw an audience.

"Everything is fine."

"Didn't look fine."

"You might want to get to know her, before you become her white knight," He wouldn't be so quick to come to her defense. "She's kind of a psycho case."

"You're that guy, aren't you?" He looked like a textbook case of a guy who painted a girl 'crazy' because she had opinion. "The one begging to have his teeth kicked in."

"Take it from me man, life is too short."

"Just go away, Brian," He leaves with one last look at Alaric. "Behold, my senior prom date. He's the reason why I hate Wickery Bridge," Alaric gives her a puzzled look. "He dumped me on that bridge."

"Well you definitely should have thrown him over." They laugh.

"Unfortunately, I have to work with him. He's on the council, the medical examiner," One of the draw backs of a small town. "The guy who signs his name under cause of death, 'animal attack'." It was weird knowing that they could have this conversation because Damon had went back back and told him she'd jumped him at the hospital and injected him with vervain so she could refill her supply of vampire blood. She only gave her patients enough blood to heal and not be turned into vampires; she hoped this wouldn't come back and bite her in the ass.

"I get it." Her phone vibrates ruining the moment.

"Duty calls. Thanks for the hero moment, miracle patient." She smiles.

"Anytime." He smiles back.

* * *

"I can't believe she's just chatting him up like he doesn't have her son forcefully doing his dirty work." Carol was talking to Niklaus and being really causal about it.

"It may not be eighteen sixty-four anymore, but the Lockwoods are still as ambitious has ever." He watches as she laughs at whatever Niklaus is saying.

"I don't think it's ambition, I think she's just adapting to her environment. She doesn't have to do with such ease though." I couldn't tell if she was actually enjoying herself or if all the time she spent as a Mayor's wife, was just second nature.

"Here I was thinking I could get a drink, write a check, and leave," Damon rolls his eyes before walking over to them. "Look what the cat dragged in. Nice vest." Damon states as he walks up to Klaus. Guess we were trying the civil approach.

"It'd look better walking out of Mystic Falls though."

"Thank you very much, Damon. It's good to see you and the lovely Alexandra as always. Carol and I were discussing about whether you would be the other big benefactor." Klaus says casually. This was a total three hundred sixty degree change in his attitude; I guess Stefan killing his hybrid had caused Klaus to take him more seriously.

"What do you say, Damon? Klaus has made a very generous pledge. You know how we're chopping up the bit to begin the renovations on Wickery Bridge."

"You do realize that you're Tyler's Mom, right? You're talking to the man who turned your only child into a hybrid by force." How could she even think about restoring a bridge, when her son was out there trying to break his sire-bond.

"You've been kissing the ass of an immortal hybrid that ruined your son's life." Damon was unapologetic as always. I see Carol shake her head slightly.

"Oh, come now, some would say that I saved him from all that nasty full moon business," He turns to Carol. "I know how to go through it myself, more than twice to be honest, but still, I'm very sympathetic." Klaus expresses. She nods her head.

"I think you mean apathetic." I say quietly. His eyes scan my face carefully before he turns his attention back to Damon.

"Klaus has promised to protect Tyler, Damon and our town. We need that right now, Lexx." She tries to convey the importance of it by staring intently at me.

"From who? His hybrids are the one the town needs protection from." Damon couldn't believe Carol was blindly following Klaus' orders.

"Did I miss the part where the teenagers he's been terrorizing, _don't_ live in the town he's supposed to be protecting?" I stroke my chin with false confusion.

"Well, I'd have no use for them if your brother would kindly return my family." _I hope you're a fantastic swimmer then._

"Not gonna happen." Damon wasn't gonna hand over the one thing that was stopping Klaus from killing them all.

"That's what I thought, which is why I've come to an agreement with the Mayor; you and the council stay out of my hair, I stay out of yours, your town gets protected, my hybrids get left alone and everybody will be happy. All you have to do is to get Stefan to stop decapitating my friends." Liked I believed he cared about his hybrids dying because he genuinely cared about them, he just liked the power they had.

"And once you get your family back, signed, dead and daggered, what's stopping you from taking Elena?" I needed Carol to see the bigger picture.

"As long as I get my family back, everyone wins, love." Klaus replies. _No, you do._

"Please, Damon just get your brother under control or the council will be forced to take action against him." Carol needed Tyler and the town safe and Damon was threatening that.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Damon was pissed at the obvious threat.

"Use force against the nutjob trying to kill us," If we weren't in public, I would scream. "Or do you want me to leave it in your suggestion box?" I ask, snidely. _Oh, don't give me that look Carol._ Niklaus laughs quietly to himself.

"Oh, come on mates, give peace a chance." Klaus says with a smile.

"The kind of peace I have in mind, shoots bullets." Hope Caroline's having more fun than me.

* * *

Elena, Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline are eating cake in the Fells crypt. Caroline was technically dead; she didn't need a birthday, she needed a funeral to say goodbye to her old life so that she could move on with her new one. Matt goes to reach for the bottle of tequila, but Elena snatches if from him.

"Ah-ah. I need it more than you do, trust me," Elena sees Caroline has her phone out. "Caroline, what are you doing?" She quickly hides the phone behind her hands.

"Hmm? Nothing."

"Okay, you're a bad sober liar; you're an even worse drunk liar." Elena points out.

"I might have texted Tyler." She admits sheepishly.

"Caroline..." Elena sighs.

"What?" She didn't expect him to be so calm and understanding about their situation. And alcohol combined with her looking at her wrist every ten seconds where the bracelet Tyler gave her was, led to her texting him. "I'm delicate." She whines.

"Give her a break," Bonnie snaps. "You can't control what everyone does all the time." An awkward silence fills the crypt.

"Wow." Elena lets out. It wasn't often she was on the receiving end of Bonnie's anger. Matt looks at her incredulously.

"Ouch, Bon." He gets up from his seat next her knowing she and Elena are about to go at it.

"Sorry, I know its Caroline birthday, funeral or whatever but, I just feel it's really wrong that you compelled Jeremy to leave town," It had been gnawing at her since Elena told her earlier this morning. "No one else feels that way?"

"I'm doing it to protect him, Bonnie. I want to give him a chance at a halfway normal life." He shouldn't have to spend his Sundays decapitating hybrids.

"I went along with keeping Lexx out of the loop because she was already leaving to go with her Mom, but look where that left her; she's been scrambling to catch up these last few days and you still haven't told her about Jenna."

"She's right about that, Elena. Lexx is gonna realize she's not visiting friends in McKinley for much longer." Caroline chimes in.

"There's never a good moment to tell her." Any chance she had was always filled with a fact about Klaus and the new plan he hatched to kill one of them.

"My point exactly. Jeremy should be able to choose how he wants to live his life and you're taking his choices away." Elena eyes widen.

"Bonnie, you can't tell him."

"Why," It's not like she could stop her if she wanted to tell him. "Are you gonna compel me not to?" Matt cuts in.

"You know today isn't about you guys and you're ruining a perfectly good funeral." Matt was right, this wasn't the time or place for all this.

"I'm sorry. I'm just gonna go sleep it off or something," Bonnie gets from the the stone bench and turns to Caroline. "Happy birthday."

* * *

"The Mayor is looking out for Tyler," Liz had seen Damon and I were causing a scene and had decided to intervene. "For now we have to assume Klaus has her in his pocket."

"Oh, please don't tell me you're gonna drink the Klaus Kool-Aid." Damon says appalled.

"Great. Another Klaus crusader to add to the list." I roll my eyes.

"I'm not gonna let him hold this town hostage, but I'm also not gonna let innocent people get caught in a cross fire in a pissing contest between a hybrid and a vampire." Liz had to be smart about this.

"Liz, I'm impressed; you're all strong and sheriffy."

"I'm not kidding, Damon. Get Stefan to stand down from this one before someone gets hurt." Liz answers back.

"If you think even for a second Niklaus is gonna back down because we do, you're foolish." I say bitterly.

Across the room, Stefan discreetly grabs a long knife off the table at the Council fundraiser. The hybrid, Daniel, goes upstairs and into a room and closes the doors. Stefan surprises him and stabs him in the stomach. He pulls Daniel's head backwards and puts the knife to his throat, Lexx kicks the knife out of his hand and Damon slams Stefan against a wall. Stefan turns and frees himself.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asks calmly.

"What are _you_ doing?" He had told Alaric he couldn't predict how far he was willing to go until someone got killed. "No dead hybrids at the Founders' party!"

"No, I told Klaus to get his hybrids out of town, he didn't listen, so I'm saying it louder."

"Stefan, this place is crawling with them, what difference does it make if you kill one?" Looked like Damon had been right about the dimmer switch; his humanity was somewhere between on and off.

"And if you kill them, Klaus won't make twenty more?" Damon seconds.

"Klaus isn't gonna kill the only person who knows where his coffins are." Stefan knew he couldn't keep killing hybrids to get his point across, but it was the only option he had and he like causing Klaus distress.

"Have you forgotten about Elena's part in all of this or do you not care if she's a human blood bag for the rest of her life?" Damon he knew wasn't so far gone that Elena couldn't pull him back, her life was on the line he and couldn't act like that didn't effect him.

"See, I'm not compelled by Klaus to do that anymore." Klaus wasn't gonna hurt his blood supply and Stefan didn't have his switch on enough to care if he did.

"Stefan you don't mean that," I didn't know who this Stefan was. "You snapped a broom in half and shoved it in your stomach so you could fight Klaus' compulsion."

"Protecting Elena is your problem now." He answers coolly.

"Don't give me that no-humanity crap; you can't just flip your switch," When he left town it was on, then Klaus compelled him to turn it off, and as far has he knew, he hadn't turned it back on. "Your switch is fried Stefan, just like your brain. You want to take Klaus, you want to beat the villain? You got to be smarter."

"And killing a hybrid when anyone could walk in, isn't smart."

"To beat the villain, you have to be the better villain." Stefan claps Damon on the shoulder and leaves.

* * *

"Bourbon, three pieces of ice." Damon says to the bartender behind the bar.

"I still can't believe Stef tried to kill that hybrid during the fundraiser. I thought small town life was supposed to be easy." This evening was slowly turning into a shit show.

"It was easy until Damon came into town." Alaric says with a smile on his face.

"Don't get cocky 'cause a girl finally showed some interest in you." He saw him taking to the woman with shoulder length brown hair that Lexx told her was the doctor on call when he was admitted to the hospital. Damon takes a sip from his Bourbon.

"Lexx!" Someone calls before Alaric can reply.

"Bonnie?" What was she doing here? Had something happened with the coffins? I lead her outside. The last thing we needed was Niklaus hearing anything about the coffins.

"Things got a little intense at Caroline's party. We we're laughing, being teenagers for once and Elena got mad because Care texted Tyler," She explains. "I understand why, it's Tyler, but he's Caroline's boyfriend, sired or not."

"Was Care having fun up until that?" Mystic Falls was always throwing something at them and while I had just got back into town, I wanted Care to have a supernatural drama free day. Especially on her birthday.

"Yeah, she was." Bonnie answers laughing.

"Nice to know you casually throw the word 'sired' around." Damon says making his way to us. Now why had Damon felt the need to follow us out here?

"We're far enough away where no one will hear us, not our fault you chose to follow us." I hit his shoulder.

"Sorry, had to know what was going on in the world of Mystic Falls teens." Damon smirks. _Was he flirting with Bonnie?_ We were gonna have to talk about this later.

"We occasionally set homicidal vampires on fire and plot the demise of sadistic Originals." Bonnie replies with a fake smile as his phone rings.

"Elena, what's up?" He asks once he answers it.

"Hello, Damon, she's a little busy right now." Stefan greets.

"Why the hell do you have Elena's phone?" He asks quickly before putting it on speaker. Bonnie and I exchange worried looks.

"I'm making my next move. Let me ask you something; what will Klaus do if he can't make anymore hybrids?"

"What?" We hear Elena ask. What was she doing with Stefan?

"Bon, wasn't Elle with Caroline and Matt when you left?"

"She was." We trade scared glances.

"Stefan, leave her out of this." But all he hears is the dial tone.

* * *

Damon, Bonnie, Lexx and Klaus enter an empty room.

"What now? You just pulled me away from a fascinating conversation about landscaping the Town Square."

"Stefan just grabbed Elena." Damon doesn't waste time getting to the point.

"Well, he's getting desperate." He isn't fazed by the information.

"He's gonna try and use her against you." Bonnie voices.

"Do what he says, get rid of your hybrids." Damon commands.

"Or what? Stefan would never dream of killing her." Klaus strolls around the room.

"You sure about that, 'cause Damon and I had to stop him from ripping one of your hybrids' head off in the middle of the fundraiser."

"He's operating on crazy right now." Damon echoes his agreeance with me.

"Well, crazy or not, that kind of love never dies," Niklaus circles around me. "He's bluffing." I tilt my head at him and exhale a breathe of aggravation. Damon moves in front of Niklaus.

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but if you don't want to believe him, believe me. I know my brother better than anyone and right now I don't have a clue how far he is willing to take this. So if he says blink, I suggest you blink." He finishes as Klaus' phone rings.

"Stefan, how nice to hear your voice." He answers causally.

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus."

"Well that's not gonna happen until I get my coffins back."

"Okay, well then I'm gonna drive your blood source off Wickery Bridge."

"Lexx, did he just say...?" Bonnie asks, but she's not able to finish her question. Stefan knew that was where Elena's parents had died, there was no way he would do that.

"I don't believe you Stefan, you won't kill her." Klaus wasn't buying it. Stefan bites his wrist and shoves his blood down Elena's throat.

"No, no! What are you doing?" We hear Elena ask breathlessly.

"What's going on?" Klaus was now visibly shaken.

"I just fed her my blood. No more hybrids if she's a vampire."

"You won't do it."

"Really? Try me, because your coffins are next to go," He threatens. "Say goodbye to your family Klaus."

"Stefan, slow down! Stefan! Stefan, stop it!" Bonnie topples into Damon's side, he puts his arm around her waist, catching her.

"Fine, I'll send them away, you win." Klaus relents.

"Stefan! STEFAN, STOP!" Elena yells.

"STOP THE CAR, STEFAN!" Klaus demands. We hear the tires screech as the car roughly stops. Klaus hangs up, furious and leaves the room in a hurry. My phone interrupts the tense silence.

"Hey, Matt." I answer weakly.

"It's not good, Lexx! She's…Tyler bit Care and I'm pretty sure Stefan took Elena." Matt says, with a panicky voice. _Was this night gonna let up?_

"What...is Care okay, where are you guys?" I ask, tears already trying to spill out.

"We're on the way to her house. Lexx, she keeps hallucinating or something, I don't know. I-I just don't what to do and one is answering their phone." Matt says with a shaky voice.

"Bonnie can do a spell-" Matt cuts me off.

"I guess you you don't know yet," Matt states sadly. "The only way to cure a werewolf bite is with Klaus' blood. I have to go, she's getting worse." The beep as he hangs up is the last thing I hear.

"Uh, one of us, should...go get Elena." I suggest quietly.

"I'll go and meet you at Caroline's house as soon has I can." Bonnie sniffles as walks past me. I turn to Damon.

"Guess Stefan has some more work to do before he can get the the title of 'better villain'."

* * *

"Sheriff Forbes!" Matt yells.

"What happened?" Liz asks swinging the door open.

"Tyler bit her." Matt carries her upstairs.

"What?" Liz was shocked. Hadn't Klaus said he was gonna protect the town.

"Don't blame him; Klaus forced him. He wouldn't just do that." I say running to catch up to him.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't get here."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"It's alright sweetheart." Liz strokes her hair.

"Care, I am so sorry. I-I was so focused on trying to keep Stefan on a leash that I just-" I'm cut off.

"Hey, no one could've stopped me from texting, Tyler. No one." Care says. I was the verge of breaking down into tears.

"I'll be back," I couldn't let Care's last few hours be me crying all over her. I pause on the last step of the staircase and try to gain my composure before I go back up. A knock at the door snaps from me out of my haze. "Bon-" It's not her. "You got some nerve coming here. What, you wanna watch Care die since you couldn't be there for Elena's joyride?" I ask glaring at Niklaus has I swing the front door open.

"Tyler came to see me, poor boy, he seemed quiet distressed, said Caroline had a terrible accident." Klaus explains. His words while caring, had a slightly bored tone, contradicting his statement.

"You're...brilliant," I lean against the doorframe and cross my arms. "You probably had already talked to the Mayor and hatched this scheme later on; if you save Caroline, you get Liz's support. I see how you managed to live for over a thousand years, you cover all you bases don't you?"

"While your anger is understandable, you're making it quite hard for me to keep my promise to the Mayor."

"I don't know if I can top the birthday present you just gave her," Niklaus' face becomes shocked. "Oh, you didn't know?" I step to the side so he can see the poster that has 'Happy Birthday Caroline' written on it and the balloons on the table in the hallway. "This is one birthday she'll never forget and it's all thanks you, Niklaus." I laugh bitterly as I hear two sets of footsteps make their way down the stairs.

"You made Tyler do this; he would have never done something like that this to Caroline." Matt replies from behind me.

"I'm here to help. My blood will heal her," He turns to Liz. "Invite me inside."

"How about you give us the Salvatore treatment and put it in a bottle? You're not wanted here." Matt crosses his arms.

"I know how this game works; you want something in return." Liz had been dealing with the supernatural long enough to know this game.

"Just your support." _I support a stake in your heart._

"Come in." _Dammit, Liz._ I watch as a small smirk paints his face has he walks past Matt and goes up the stairs. Five minutes later, we hear Caroline's door being closed and opened.

"She's asleep if you want to see about her." Klaus says walking downstairs. Matt and Sheriff Forbes move past Klaus.

"You saving her life was not a gift or a kind gesture; you got her bit in the first place." Matt voices before angrily passing by Klaus before following Sheriff Forbes.

"This doesn't change anything." I voice, arms crossed, leaning against the banister.

"There's a whole world out there; great cities, art and music; genuine beauty. She shouldn't have to miss out because I made her collateral damage." Niklaus walks past me.

* * *

I groggily answer the phone as I hear Damon's ringtone go off.

"Someone better be dead with how early you're calling me, Damon."

"I called Elena and stopped by Bonnie's house, where are you guys?" Bonnie's house, since when did he do that?

"We spent the night at Care's, what do you want?" I yawn.

"Lexx." Care groans. I slip on my shoes and quickly leave the room.

"Well you got your wish; dead guy's name is Brian Walters, medical examiner."

"I'm sorry he's dead, but how's he relevant to everything else we have going on at the moment?" I open the front door.

"He's the ex-boyfriend of the hot doctor Alaric was flirting with last night." Last night was the gift that kept on giving.

"That man can't catch a break," I sigh. "So, how'd he die?"

"Stake a la mode." Damon replies.

"They hired a vampire to be the medical examiner?" I guess if he had all the right qualifications...

"He was human." Now I was wide awake.

"Then that means he was murdered." Maybe it was a good thing Jeremy was leaving.


	5. Chapter 5

Get ready for Lexx to be a Bamon cheerleader!

I don't own Zara Larsson's 'Lush Life'

* * *

The Ties That Bind Can Strangle You (Breathe Easy) Part I

"Hey, is Stefan here?" I ask, walking into the parlor of the Salvatore's house.

"I'm doing well, thanks for asking," Damon answers sarcastically. "Stefan isn't here, Bonnie called him twenty minutes ago." _This was just what I wanted_.

"Speaking of Bon, we need to talk about her."

"What about the witch?"

"It's obvious you like her; you followed us outside just to argue with her and when she walked into the room, your eyes followed her automatically." I say in amazement.

" _Like_ , Bonnie Bennett _?_ We're frenemies at best and even that is a shaky relationship. If anything, I was surprised to see her there and I had to keep an eye out for Klaus."

"I'm already on your tail and Stefan has always been observant so, try to keep it in check." I laugh. No telling what Bonnie would think if she knew Damon had a thing for her.

"There's nothing going on there," Damon smirks and wags his eyebrows. "If anything, it's Elena you should be concerned about."

"You kissed her and she didn't you kiss back," His eyes widen in surprise. "Somewhere in that thick, egotistical skull of yours, you got it in your head that Elena was always gonna chose Stefan." _I mean he fought compulsion and beat the damn thing_ _._

"And then he left and I saved the day." He shrugs his shoulder coolly.

"No, what you did was wait 'til your little brother left town to pay off your debt to play Elena's hero." He tightens his jaw.

"Timing wasn't perfect, but it doesn't change the fact that I was there for her."

"The fact is, you can't repay Stefan back by going after his girlfriend!" I shout. "Why are you so set on repeating eighteen sixty-four?"

"History is not gonna repeat itself, she's gonna pick me!" He could try to make this about Katherine, but I knew him better than that.

"Even if she did choose you, it still wouldn't be Katherine!"

"I wanted to get Katherine out the tomb and Elena was just a means to an end; she was a pawn that I could use to hurt Stefan and then I found out Katherine was never in the tomb and what does she turn around and do _?_ She shows me compassion, even after I hurt her friends and her, she treated me like I wasn't a monster."

"Because she showed you some empathy after you found out your girlfriend wasn't in some cave dying of thirst, you decided you were gonna be with her?" That stupid kiss from the other night is what's fueling him.

"It's more than that," He sighs. "She's everything I wished Katherine would've been."

"And that's where I don't buy you love her. You keep projecting what you wanted Katherine to be like onto Elena." A year had pasted since he found out Katherine wasn't in the tomb, since he found out she didn't love him, and she still had a hold on him. I head for the front door.

* * *

"I've been having these dreams for days now." That creepy ass dream where she's walking through the cemetery and sees the tombstones of all her dead ancestors. She sees a coffin standing in the middle and then Niklaus rushes towards her and bites her neck and then she wakes up in the coffin and a woman she's never seen before, opens first night she had the dream, she woke up screaming and I barged in her room armed with a baseball bat.

The second night, I'd begrudgingly asked Damon to keep an eye on her-even though the only thing I wanted to was punch him after that stupid kiss with Elena-in his crow form in case something else happened. The third night was where I was convinced Damon had feelings for Bonnie and why I went to his house this morning, but we'll talk about that another time.

"So, are the Witches the one sending you the cryptic dream message?" I ask.

"Yeah, it's like they're trying to send me a message, but I don't know what it means."

"I just can't believe that you guys kept this from me this whole time." Elena was shocked to say the least. She still hadn't told anyone about that kiss with Damon though...

"Stefan thought if you knew where the coffins were, Klaus could threaten people to get the information out of you."

"For once, I agreed with him." Elena gives me an aggravated look. I raise my eyebrow in a challenge. _Come at me, doppelg_ ä _nger._

"So, these are the rest of his family?" Elena asks.

"Yeah. Elijah and two others," She walks to one of the coffins. "This one is the one we can't open. We don't know who is in it, or what's in it, only that I think my dream's telling me it'll help us kill Klaus." She finishes as Stefan enters.

"What the hell are you doing?" Stefan asks coming to stand next to Elena. _Interesting choice._

"I needed her to know about the coffin."

"And I needed you to keep her out of it, Bonnie. You and Damon agreed to that." How the hell was he supposed to get anything done if he had to worry about Elena trading one of the coffins for someone's safety again?

"So what are you gonna do, Stefan? Are you gonna kidnap me so that I won't tell anyone?" Elena asks boldly.

"Don't tempt me, Elena."

"I think I know who can open the coffin, Stefan," Bonnie speaks, interrupting their stare down." And I need Elena to help me find her."

"Find who? What are you talking about, Bon?"

"I couldn't place her face at first. Then I realized..." Bonnie shows Elena and I a photo.

"Oh my god, Bonnie." Elena couldn't believe it.

 _"_ No way that's who I think it is." Mystic Falls never stops with the surprises. Stefan takes the photo from Elena and stares at it.

"Who is this?" It was a woman with black shoulder length hair, holding a little girl on a swing. Why all the commotion?

"It's my Mom."

* * *

"I'll have plenty of time to be pissed at you when you get back." I say jokingly, walking through Elena's front door with a box fulled with people named 'Abby Bennett'.

"I'm sorry I have to bail on the movie marathon." Bonnie apologizes, taking the box from me.

"Bon, finding your Mom is ten times more important than this. It's not being able to keep anything from the doppelgänger over there that has me mad." I say angrily.

"So, you're not going because you're mad at me?" Elena didn't think Lexx could be this selfish. "Bonnie needs both us right now."

"I want some semblance of a normal life happening around me." Elena gives Bonnie a puzzled look.

"Matty said they've been short staffed at the Grill since Jeremy was fired and two people called out sick so, I'm helping him out," I'd worked at the Grill before I left. "Besides, you wouldn't like what I have to say about your late night activities," I whisper as her eyes flash in recognition. "How are you holding up?" I pull Bonnie into a side hug. Bonnie needed my full attention and trying to keep Elena's secret so Stefan didn't find out, was not helping.

"It's surreal having to track down a woman who bailed on her own kid." Bonnie responds leaning into me.

"You know you don't have to right?"

"Yeah, let Stefan obsess over opening up the coffin. It doesn't have to fall on you." Elena echoes.

"The coffin is spell shut, which makes it a witch problem. I was bound to see my Mother again sooner or later."

"Sooner," Damon walks through the kitchen side door with a folder. "Abby Bennett Wilson, Monroe, North Carolina, born in Mystic Falls Hospital, graduated at Mystic Falls High, blah blah blah." He reads, handing Bonnie the paper.

"This is her." Bonnie sighs.

"You look a lot like her, Bon." Looking at the picture, it's obvious to see where she gets her good looks from.

"Yep, roadtrip," Damon responds. "I call shotgun." It's not like he's gonna have time to bond with Elena, she's there to be moral support for Bon. _So why go Damon?_

"Yeah, no." Elena shoots down quickly. _You should've said that the other night._

"Why not?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Damon; you and Bon aren't friends, remember?" I fire back smirking _._ He clenches his jaw. Bonnie knew they weren't friends, but it hurt slightly to hear Lexx voice his no doubt obvious feelings.

"Lexx isn't coming and neither are you, Damon." Elena gives Damon a stern look.

"You aren't going?" He turns to me.

"No and it's none your business why I'm not." Damon stares at me pissed, before turning to Bonnie.

"And how do you feel about that?" I was not expecting him to ask Bon how she felt. _I think I was on to something._ Bonnie sighs.

"I know Lexx would come if I wanted her to, but that doesn't change the fact that you can't come with us, Damon."

"I'm the one who found her." I didn't realize Abby was a prize you won for Bonnie, Damon.

"Bonnie hasn't seen her Mom in over fifteen years; we don't need your snarky commentary narrating the experience." Elena voices looking between Damon and Bonnie. When did Damon start being so vocal about Bonnie related matters?

"You guys have all the subtlety of a hand grenade." Damon replies as he holds Elena's gaze.

"What's going on with you two?" Bonnie asks as they stare at one another.

"I'll let Elena tell you. Have a safe trip, Bonnie." Damon closes the door behind him.

"Why do I get the feeling everyone knows what's going on but me?" Bonnie felt left out.

"At least you and Elena have something else to talk about besides your Mom."

* * *

"I just can't believe that I'm actually going to see her. Or meet her, sort of; I don't really remember her." Bonnie barely remembered the memory of her pushing her on the swing.

"You don't really talk about her." Elena voices.

"She left, never wrote, never called, not even when Grams died," She still missed her. She couldn't perform a spell without thinking how what Grams would say."Could we talk about you and Damon instead? What was that back there?" Did he want to go with them to flirt with Elena or was it something else?

"I'm not talking about it," Bonnie stares at Elena until she answers. "Fine; he kissed me, it's not gonna happen again."

"I mean…was it good," She was a little curious about the self-proclaimed eternal stud's kissing skills. "Did you like it?

"It caught me off guard, but it wasn't good," She sighs. "Is it stupid that I was picturing Stefan when it happened?"

"Elena…I'm pretty sure you guys are soulmates," Bonnie finishes as her cell ring. "Oh, speaking of Stefan, he's calling me," Elena gives her a curious one over. "I told him I'd call him as soon has I got the address."

"Ignore him." Elena roll her eyes has she sends him to voicemail.

"You sure that was the right call?"

"Bonnie, you're about to see your Mom for the first time in fifteen years, I'm not letting anyone ruin that moment." Their lives were being trampled by the supernatural and Bonnie always seemed to be the one to save the day so, Stefan could give her this.

"Fine." Bonnie sighs. The phone rings again and Elena presses the 'decline' button.

"He's gonna keep at it until I pick up." Bonnie lightly drums her finger on the steering wheel. The car is filled with the familiar tone of of Zara Larsson's 'Lush Life'. Elena answers placing the phone on speaker.

"Caroline?"

"Ripper Stefan said Bon wasn't answering her phone, why not?"

"Care, Bon needs this moment with her Mom."

"I figure that was why, how is she holding up?"

"Seeing as I wasn't the one who got bit last week, good," Bonnie lightly jokes. She expects to be met with laughter but the end is silent. "Caroline?"

"I think Tyler is in my house." Elena stares at the phone in surprise. Bonnie tightens her hold on the wheel.

"Caroline, don't go in there." Bonnie warns.

"No, I wanna give him a piece of mind," Last time she was so stunned, the only thing she could do was send him away, but not this time. "If Klaus wanted me dead, he would've let the bite do it." Elena hated that she was right and Bonnie dislike the fact that she agreed with her.

"Just be careful, Klaus might've saved you for something else." Elena suggests.

"I will," Care ends the call, opens her car door and squares her shoulder before making the short trip from her car to the front door. "What are you doing here?" She orders once she see's Tyler.

"I came to apologize."

"Apologize?" He could've killed her, a few words wasn't gonna cut it. "You bit me, I could've died! I think we're way past apologies, Tyler."

"That's the problem. Klaus told me to do it and I said no. And then... it just happened anyway," He was so sure it didn't have to worry about hurting her, Klaus had said he didn't have to bit her, but when he had went over the conversation again, he noticed that Klaus never said the exact words. "Like, it was completely out of my control. That's why I had your Mom call him." Bill Forbes walks into the room.

"Daddy?" She was not expecting him to ever show up again.

"Hi, Caroline."

"I thought, since he can resist compulsion, maybe he could teach me to resist the sire bond." Tyler knew Bill hated Caroline because of what she was, but if he could help him break his sire bond, he could put up with it.

"Can you help him?"

"I'm gonna try."

"Why, because he's only half vampire?" She still remembered how he had filled the dungeon with the vervain ventilation system and burning her with the sunlight with the window in the room.

"Because he made a mistake and now he wants to make good," He had gone about curing Caroline wrong; she was what she was and no amount of trying to convince himself otherwise was going to change that. "And I understand that." Caroline looks at him sympathetically.

* * *

"Do you think Care's gonna be okay?" Elena was skeptical after what happened last time Tyler was around.

"If she's not, Tyler and Klaus won't be." Bonnie's phone goes off again. Elena snatches if up before Bonnie can complain.

"Bonnie and I are gonna spend the night at the lake house while we wait for Sheriff Forbes to give us new addresses." She answers.

"You're kidding me, right?" Did she forget there was an Original hybrid after her?

"No, Stefan, I'm not. We need a night off from your insanity."

"Klaus knows that I'm stalling," He was getting antsy. "We need to move faster."

"Well, we're doing everything we can, so could you maybe not call every five minutes?"

"Sure, Elena. Whatever you say." Stefan answers as he ends the call and looks at Abby's address on her kitchen table.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask has I see Stefan standing in the kitchen.

"Lexx, what are you doing here?"

"Watching movies and wondering what the hell you were thinking taking Elle on Wickery Bridge." Didn't matter if I was pissed at her, Stefan went too far with that stunt.

"I needed Klaus to know I was serious and now he knows I am."

"You know we found her in their room that night? God, Stefan, what are you trying to prove here?" I asked exasperatedly.

"I…I didn't know she…" Stefan hadn't thought what it would do to her.

"You saved her, you saved us, and then you go and make her relive the worst memory of her life to stick it to Klaus?"

"It's the way it has to be, Lexx." He steels himself to put on a cool front. I'd have a better chance with a brick wall at this point.

"If that's all you have to say about your dick move, then you and I have nothing else to say to each other ever again."

"Lexx, I want you to come with me to North Carolina, I don't like not having eyes on Elena." _Uh-huh, I believe you._

"Her bff is a powerful witch and she's been handling herself pretty damn good or do you need her to stab you again to refresh your memory?" I smirk. Bet he was expecting her to stab him with the stake after she pulled him from the fire Esther had started with ghost Vicki's help.

"I don't know what Klaus has planned, but Bonnie and Elena could be in danger; you wanna risk that?" I let that sink in for a moment.

"I guess I'll have to tell Matt to cancel my shift."

"Come on, you can do it from the car."

* * *

"You gonna turn on the radio?" I ask Stefan, watching the scenery of North Carolina go by.

"No."

"You gonna tell me what you have planned that involves everyone hating you?"

"Nope." He pops the 'p'.

"I'm gonna call and see how Care is doing, 'cause talking to you isn't getting me anywhere."

"Hey, Lexx, what's up?" Caroline answers once she picks up her phone.

"Just checking in. How goes the sire bond breaking, is Tyler doing okay?" Caroline had called to fill me in.

"Last I saw, he was breaking every bone in his body to break the sire bond and if he hadn't been in so much pain, and if my Dad hadn't been there, I would've kissed the hell out of him!" Caroline yells and I hear Stefan laugh lightly. _Maybe we still had a chance to get you back Stefan…_

"Classic Caroline," I laugh. "You know, if you're bored sitting around your house, maybe you wanna go work my shift at the Grill?" I ask hopefully. Care wasn't a good waitress when she tried helping Matt and I out, but now she had vampire strength on her side.

"Lexx, I don't work there."

"Like Kai cares as long has he knows you're not gonna steal from the cash register or break dishes," Kai was the manager. "He has a crush on Bonnie, use that to your advantage."

"Fine," She needed something to get Tyler and her Dad off her mind. "But why aren't you're going?"

"Cramps are a bitch, so I figured I'd pig out instead of working for minimum wage." I lie smoothly. I see Stefan give me a head nod from my peripheral.

"I'm sure Matt will understand, I'll just tell him you had 'girl problems'."

"Thanks, Carebear. Hey, have you talked to Bon or Elle since they left?" I'd feel a lot better knowing Bon or Elena have to talked to Care.

"Yeah, like an hour ago. I can't believe I couldn't go; this stupid werewolf bite still has me feeling weak, I wanted to be there for her. It's frustrating." Caroline sighs. Stefan and I share a tense look at each other.

"You know Bon understands that and I'm sure one of them will call once they think about it. Thanks again, Care," I say as I hang up. "Pick up the speed, Stefan."

* * *

"It's a cute house." Elena compliments as Bonnie closes her car door.

"In the middle of nowhere," Bonnie gets out of the car and walks up to house, ringing the doorbell. "Let's just get this over with."

"Hey there." A boy says opening the door.

"Hi, we're looking for Abby Wilson." Elena says.

"She's not home, something I can do for you?" The boy asks.

"It's okay, we can come back." Bonnie starts to walk away.

"I'm sorry, but you look so familiar." The boy says to Bonnie.

"Um, Abby is my Mom." Bonnie answers.

"Oh... I'm Jamie," He introduces a bit shocked at the information. "You guys want to come inside?"

* * *

"You guys sure you don't want anything?" Jamie asks. "We got fresh O. J, coconut water, some mango guava something."

"Water is fine." Bonnie says.

"Cool." Jamie responds.

"So, are you guys... like related?" Elena asks Jamie.

"Oh, uh yeah," Jamie replies, rubbing his neck. "Abby's my Mom."

"I wasn't expecting that." Bonnie answers shocked at the fact that she has a brother.

"Yeah, she dated my old man back in the day; he's kind of a deadbeat, so when they broke up she took me with her, made sure I didn't drop out of school and didn't freak out when I totaled the car," Jamie laughs. "Twice."

"She sounds...great. " Bonnie says sadly.

"It's kinda of surreal seeing you in person; Mom has photo albums of you from when you were a baby, but I didn't know I'd get the chance to meet you."

"She has pictures of me?" Why would a woman she hadn't seen in years, keep photos of her?

"Yeah, she keeps them hidden in the attic, she doesn't know that I know," He reaching across the table to hold her hand. "I hope that whatever happens with Mom today, we get a chance to get to know each other because I really wanna get to know my sister." Jamie says hopefully.

"I'd…I'd really like that, Jamie." Bonnie says smiling with tears in her eyes and squeezing his hand. The front door closes and opens suddenly.

"Jamie, whose car is out front?" Abby asks has she enters the kitchen.

"That's mine," Bonnie shoots up from her seat. "I'm Bonnie, your daughter."

* * *

 **A/N** :You guys gotta review so I know if you like it. Otherwise, I'm flying blind and that means I crash, and then I can't finish the story.


	6. Chapter 6

The Ties That Bind Can Strangle You (Breathe Easy) Part II

"How're you holding up?" Elena asks Bonnie has she looks at a picture of Jamie.

"I'll be fine." Jamie was living her life, it was hard to be unaffected.

"Bon, you don't have to be fine," She always had a tendency to think she always had to be strong; she was human like anyone else regardless of her powers. "If you're pissed, then you're pissed, you have a right to be." Bonnie smiles gratefully.

"I'm not here to get my Mom back, just here to get her help." She places the picture back on the stand. Abby enter the living room with a tray of food.

"So, I hope you guys are hungry, because food has always been my go to ice-breaker."

"You have a really beautiful home." Elena compliments Abby.

"You're so sweet, just like your Mom." She looked alot like Miranda when she was a younger.

"You knew my Mom?" Elena didn't knows they were friends.

"Miranda was my best friend." Bonnie was starting to see history had a way of repeating itself. Bonnie couldn't help but let herself think of a life of play dates with both their Moms, them yelling their names while they cheered at football games, talking about boys, Abby helping her with her magic, maybe Grams wouldn't have had to die.

"So, you had a daughter and a best friend and you still left?" Bonnie was angry. Abby sighs.

"Fifteen years ago, a vampire came to town looking for you, Elena, looking for the doppelgänger. Miranda was scared and she asked for my help. No one could manage to kill him, so I lured him out of town and cast a spell to desiccate him in a crypt in, Charlotte."

"You mean, Mikael," Abby nods her head. Tears well up in Elena eyes at the thought of her damning her sister to life without her Mom. "I am so sorry, Bon. Even when I'm not trying, I'm destroying the lives of my best friends."

"Elena, you didn't know Mikael was gonna come; all us were babies." Bonnie squeezes Elena's hand reassuringly.

"It took every ounce of power I had, almost killed me. I recovered, but my magic didn't. My powers went haywire, and I never got them back under control."

"And you never came back," The first chance she saw at a life without Bonnie, she took it without hesitation. "You left your child behind, didn't looked back, and got a new family, all without breaking a sweat." Bonnie says matter of factly. Abby shakes her head.

"It wasn't that simple, Bonnie." There was more to it than that.

"It wasn't? You cast a spell, put Mikael down and then...what, you had to teach Jamie how to drive?" Elena puts her hand on Bonnie's shoulder to stop her from shaking. "This was a mistake," Bonnie gets up to leave. "She has no magic, she can't help us." Looks like all of Damon's investigative skills had been a waste.

"Bonnie, wait, please," Abby jumps in front of her. "Don't go. Talk to me...please?" Abby asks. Her baby girl had grown up to be so beautiful, she just wanted a little more time with her.

"I'll wait outside." Elena makes way her towards the front door and closes it leaving Bonnie and Abby in a weird, tense silence.

"You've grown into such a beautiful young woman, Bonnie." She wished she would've been able to see it. She didn't come here for snacks and speeches about how pretty she grown to be.

"Please, just stop with the muffins and the compliments," She wouldn't have to compliment her if she had stayed. "I just wanna know the truth... why didn't you come home?"

"After I put Mikael down, I couldn't control my magic. I would go to open a door and it fly open and send papers flying off the table or I would try to light a match and start a fire. I scorched the wall in the kitchen over the stove in your Gram's house." Bonnie remembered asking her Grams about the marks, she said she had underestimated the height of a fire while doing a spell.

"You came back?" Abby nods her head. "And then you left again."

"Bonnie, I almost hurt you," Tears well up in her eyes. Bonnie eyes squint in confusion. "You were four. I was trying to cook dinner before your Dad got home, the phone keep ringing, and you were crying and I just lost it. I screamed and the house shook and then you were screaming," A sob breaks through her. "A vase fall off the stand and hit you on the head and you were bleeding. You had to have five stitches. Your Dad... I could tell he blamed me, but your Grams wasn't mad. She was adamant that with time, I would be able to control my powers, but every time I looked at you, all I could see was what I did to, what I else I _could_ do to you."

"You left to protect me?" Nothing made sense to her anymore. "Grams didn't say anything."

"I was selfish, Bonnie. I begged her not to, told her it would be easier on me if you didn't know. I wasn't sure how long it would take for me to get my powers under control. I didn't want to just hear your voice on the phone when I couldn't be there. I didn't want you anywhere near me or magic after mine went wild. I left without telling my Mom and moved to a new city and had Jamie the same year."

"You were pregnant?" How many more surprises did she have? "Jamie said you took him with you 'cause his Dad wasn't there."

"I didn't want him knowing about magic and the same went for you, but I guess your Grams forgot to mention you were practicing," She sighs. "I'm not proud of what I did, Bonnie. I ran. I know I ran. But you had your Dad and your Grams. I knew you would be fine." Wait...

"You don't know?" Bonnie asks confused.

"Know what?"

"Grams died." No. That couldn't be possible. Her Mother was the strongest person she knew.

"How?"

"We were doing a rough spell, and we both exhausted ourselves," It felt like she was back in that moment, being pulled under. "Her more than me. She said was fine and then she laid done and never woke up." Bonnie starts to cry. Abby grabs Bonnie's hand.

"I'm sorry, Bonnie. If I had known...I know she's proud of you," She lets go of her hand. "Now you know my whole story. How's about you tell me yours? What brings you to me?" Bonnie wipes her eyes.

"It was a dream actually. I thought you were supposed to help us. But if you don't have any magic, it's..." Impossible. She wouldn't hear the end of it from Damon.

"Not spells, no. But... I'm not completely useless. I mean, the earth still provides herbs and such. There might be something I can do." She offers up quickly.

"I don't think so."

"Bonnie, please," She had run to keep her save, but now she would come back and help her daughter as much has she could. "Let me help you."

* * *

Damon is waiting for Dr. Fell outside a patients room.

"You know, we never got a chance to official meet, doctor... Fell." He announces once he sees her. He could see why Ric liked her. She was pretty and could have been prime girlfriend material until a clue lead him to her.

"You're Alaric's friend, right? Damon Salvatore," She was curious to know why he was in a hospital at three in the afternoon seeking her out. "I saw you at the council meeting. What are you doing here?"

"Strolling the halls, you know, I like to wave to newborns through the window," He remembered seeing Bonnie in the baby ward, wrapped in a pink blanket, unaware of all the power she had pulsing through her veins. He never imagined she'd be using them on him one day. He wondered how she was handling seeing her Mom after all this time. Dr. Fell walks past him. "I'm sorry about your boyfriend," Her steps slow and Damon hears her heartbeat go up slightly. "Animal attack. Brutal." He comments.

"Ex-boyfriend," She clarifies. "And thanks. I'm still kind of processing." She tries to walk away again, but Damon causes her to stop in her tracks again.

"Yeah, I'm sure. You know, I just thought I'd come by and tell you that it wasn't an animal attack and then I realized," He unrolls the certificate to show it to her. "You signed the death certificate." She opens a door to an empty hospital room. He follows behind her.

"Would you rather I say he was staked like a vampire and cause mayhem?" She couldn't keep the town safe if they panicked and tried to set it on fire to kill anyone they thought were vampires.

"I'd rather you tell me how a guy you had a fight with ends up on your table twelve hours later, and no one bats a eye." Was it because she was a member of the council?

"You think I killed my ex-boyfriend?" The breakup hadn't been _that_ bad.

"I think psychopaths are incredible high-maintenance and have a habit of having a hand in anything that goes wrong once they show up." He'd had plenty of experience when Katherine strolled back into Mystic Falls last year.

"You don't think you're jumping the gun a bit here?"

"Ric likes you. And if you are a psychopath, that would really suck for him." He and Alaric must've been close; not everyday a guy hangs around a hospital making sure you're not a killer for his best friend.

"What I wanted to have a hand in, was figuring out how Alaric came into the ICU on his deathbed and walked out an hour later without a sign of internal bleeding or fractured bones." She might have known about vampires because she was a member of a founding family, but he'd be damned if she found out about magical rings that thwarted death because of him. Bonnie would kill him.

"Fair enough." Damon starts to leave but Dr. Fell stabs him with a vervain shot. Damon falls under the dosage quickly. Meredith slumps his body against the door and takes a blood sample from Damon. He starts stirring and she leaves before he wakes up.

* * *

Elena wanders around outside, making her way into a barn.

"Nice lake house, Elena." Stefan voices behind her as he enters the barn with Lexx. "So what, did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Honestly, I didn't care," She shrugs her shoulders. "What are you even doing here?" Wasn't she suppose to be helping Matt out? And mad at her? I kick a rock on the ground.

"I was worried when you guys didn't call."

"This is exactly why I didn't want you in the loop, Elena."

"Yeah, because now you can't do whatever you want." She knows he wants to keep her on a leash. A short one.

"DAMN IT!" He kicks over a chair.

"Hey! Everything alright out here." A guy in a plaid shirt comes rushing from the upstairs of the barn. Well, hello, there chocolate!

"They're fine; just having a bit of a lover's quarrel." I roll my eyes _._ Wonder if he believes that.

"Hey, Jamie, go back inside, okay? Trust me, it's better off for you there."

"I don't think so." Jamie responds.

"Tell you what; I'll go with you, 'cause I'd rather not be here when things get awkward," I take a step towards the house. "I wanna see Bon anyways."

"I said, I don't think so." Jamie repeats. _Can't say I didn't try._

"Listen to her man." Stefan was trying to keep his composure.

"I said, I don't think so." Stefan has his hand wrapped around Jamie's neck before I can blink.

"Go back upstairs before I tear your damn throat out. Do you understand me?" Stefan asks compelling him. _I guess I spoke to soon about getting you back…_

"I'm sure Damon would be proud of you with that move, Stefan."

"What is wrong with you, that's Bonnie's brother! I don't think you've realized how bad you've gotten!" Elena yells. Wait, huh?

"Bonnie has a brother?" I know Bon didn't sign up for that. "Maybe I should've come on the trip…" _I'd missed alot_.

"It's the way it has to be, Elena." He watches Jamie disappear back upstairs.

"Don't try and sell me that shtick," I scoff. "Niklaus isn't anywhere around, so who do you have to convince here?"

"Remember Lexx, he has to out villain the villain." Elena mocks.

"You're not supposed to be here." Jamie suddenly voices, cocking a shotgun.

"Jamie, what are you doing?" Elena questions scarcely.

"What I was told; he's not supposed to be here."

"You're compelled." I say stunned. How was that possible?

"Guess Klaus is nearby, Lexx." Stefan barely gets that out as Jamie shoots him.

"Stefan, oh my god!" Elena catches him before he hits the ground. _Bonnie might be in trouble!_ I move to go towards the house.

"Don't move or I'll shoot," Jamie throws me a chain. "Here, tie Elena to the post and then you." _Great, every horror movie I've ever watched is happening to me._

"Why are you doing this?" I ask Jamie while I chain Elena up.

"Jamie, let me go!" Elena yells as Stefan groans on the ground. "Jamie, he needs help!"

"Keep them occupied, Jamie, I'll be back." Abby is carrying an unconscious Bonnie to her car. _How in the hell did Klaus manage to find her?_ Jamie runs over to help her.

"BONNIE!" Elena and I yell in unison.

* * *

Abby pulls her car to the side of the road and gets out.

"So?" The hybrid asks Abby.

"She didn't tell me where the coffins are; the vampire showed up."

"Did Jamie take care of him?"

"He did, but she's not gonna talk now, there's no way. I tried."

"Well, you should try again." He says as Bonnie wakes up and opens the car door. Abby walks to her.

"What did you do to me? I can't-" Abby cuts her off.

"You'll be fine, just don't try any spells. Those herbs I used muted your magic." Abby explains.

"Where's Elena!" Abby grabs her before she can run off.

"She'll be fine. Bonnie, listen to me, I need your help, I need you to tell me where those coffins are."

"Why? Are you gonna run off again once I tell you?" She was still trying to keep her balance.

"Because if you don't, that man compelled Jamie to kill himself." Bonnie turns to look at the man in question.

"I can't," She wanted to help, she wanted to keep Jamie safe, but this was bigger than him. "This goes beyond you and me."

"All you need to do is tell me where they are. Then we'll have held up our end of the bargain," Abby pleads has she shows her a text; _Warn your friends. "_ Bonnie, please."

* * *

"I've almost got it." Elena was trying to cut her rope on the nail embedded in the post.

"Elle, we still have Jamie to worry about. What's the plan once the rope is cut?" It was nightfall and Abby still hadn't come back.

"Haven't gotten that far ahead, but our best bet is to distract Jamie so he doesn't catch me cutting the rope."

"I can handle that," I turn my attention to the newest addition to Bonnie's family. "Why are you doing this Jamie, who gave you the gun?"

"A man came by earlier today, he gave me wooden buckshot and told me if anyone got in our way, I'm supposed to shoot him." Jamie answers. _Leave it to Niklaus to cover all his bases._

"What else did he say?"

"If Abby didn't find the location of some coffins, I'm supposed to shoot myself." _I'm not letting Bon lose anyone else._

"And what about, Elena?"

"I'm not supposed to hurt her." Jamie answers. Elena and I share a look.

"Are you sure, 'cause you're not doing such a bang up job." He gives me a confused look.

"These ropes are tight, they're hurting me." Elena whines. Jamie walks over to loosen the ropes when she lunges for him, grabs the gun, and knocks him out.

"Guess the training with Alaric is paying off," Elena unties my rope but she doesn't reply has she rushes to Stefan. "Thanks for-" I start to say, but my phone rings, cutting me off. "Damon, now isn't-"

"Bonnie's safe." How would he know that?

"Did Bon use a spell to contact you or did you follow her and Elena?" Knowing him, he probably followed them.

"Is she with Damon?" Elena asks from beside Stefan while pulling out buckshot.

"Neither, she gave me a heads-up and Barbie and I had enough time to move one of the coffins."

"Goddammit!" Stefan yells and I can't tell if it's because of Niklaus or the buckshot Elena is taking out.

"Wait, where's Bonnie, where are you?"

"She's safe with Abby." Damon replies.

"Don't know if 'safe' is the right word, but don't push Niklaus, Damon. I can't imagine he'll be too happy about one of his family members being gone." I warn him.

"Never one to keep a promise." Damon hangs up.

"You may be down a brother Stefan." I sit down on the floor and keep an eye on Jamie.

"Not sure he's too concerned about that right now." Elena points to the bullets in his chest.

"Just get it out, Elena, please. Just get it out." Stefan grunts.

"Keep screaming, maybe I'll feel sorry for you." Elena jokes. How Katherine-like of you, Elle.

"You've changed," Stefan observes from his place on the ground. "Something is different about you," He appraises her silently while she sports a look of determination while removing the bullets. He'd forgotten what it was like being this close to her and it was wrecking his senses. Lexx letting out a soft cough snaps him out his gazing. "You're stronger, tougher." He finally manages.

"You're not the only one who changed, Stefan," Elena replies, looking at him from under her lashes. "We all had to."

"It's good though."

"There's something I have to tell you." Elena thought now was as good a time has any to tell him about Damon. _Ooh, not while I'm here you don't._

"Hey, Elle, you mind if I ride back with Bon?" I cut her off quickly.

"Uh, no. It's fine, I can take the back seat if you want." Elena replies, pulling out the last bullet from Stefan's chest.

"I was thinking more along the lines of you riding back...with Stefan."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Lexx." Stefan and Elena sound at the same time.

"Look, I know you're both on rocky ground, mainly because of Stefan, but there are some things you two need to talk out without a third party around, right?" I eye Stefan and Elena.

"Lexx…" Elena sighs. Fine, hard way it is.

"Stef, can you give us a few minutes," It was better if he wasn't around. "Elena will be there shortly, trust me." I add has he gives me an unsure look. Elle waits until Stefan disappears around the corner.

"I wanted him to hear it from me first. You know Damon."

"And I also know you didn't kiss him back."

"It might not matter to Stefan, Lexx," Elena sighs. "What if Damon thinks I have feelings for him now?"

"You didn't kiss him back." I repeat.

"I didn't push him away either and you know he'll take anything as a sign." She would have, honestly she would, but her body wasn't fast enough to follow the message her brain was sending her.

"Well, actions speak louder than words so, you make sure he hears you loud and clear when you tell him you still love Stefan." She laughs lightly.

"First thing tomorrow, I'll tell Damon that there's no chance of us ever happening because," She stops and takes a deep breath. "I still love Stefan."

"I know you do, Elle," I lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Maybe if you bring his favorite Scotch, it'll soften the blow." I suggest.

"Underage, remember?" She reminds me laughing.

"I do know a certain cheerleading blonde that could help."

"Thanks, Lexx, but are you sure Bonnie-" But I cut her off.

"Will be happy that you're not talking her ear off about your 'epic' kiss with, Damon," I laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Epic, no, thinking about Stefan while it happened, yes," She clarifies. "Here's the keys, I'll call Bon and let her know you're picking her up and call and let Care know what happened."

* * *

"Bonnie!" I yell once I see her standing next to Abby.

"Hey." Bonnie grunts as I pull her into a bone-crushing hug. _I was so scared you weren't okay._

"I promise I won't even let you go to the grocery store if I'm not with you, Bon."

"You sound as bad has Elena, Lexx." Bonnie says, returning the hug just as fiercely.

"Ready to go?"

"Almost," She turns towards Abby. "You kept your end of the bargain, Klaus usually keeps his. You know, it's amazing to see the lengths you'd go to for Jamie, but not me." She could abandon her, but risk her life to keep Jamie safe.

"He's my family, Bonnie, but that doesn't mean that you're not too; I wanna help you."

"Does any of this involve dragging her into a car unconscious again?" I cross my arms.

"You don't have magic."

"Maybe you can help me get my magic back, get it back to where it was so I can help."

"I don't trust you." Bonnie replies. She didn't like being knocked out.

"Jamie is family just like you are, and if coming back is what you want me to do, if it's what you wanted... I would do that for you." Abby says sincerely.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in Mystic Falls," Bonnie was slightly shaken up from hearing that. "You remember how to get there or do you want to follow Lexx and me back?"

"No, I remember."

"Come on, Bon. If we don't get back, Care will send a search party after you." I say, trying to fill the awkward silence.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Elena. I know it wasn't an easy choice getting in the car with me, especially after last time." Stefan says over the low hum of the music as they near Elena's house.

"No, I get it. You had a point to prove and the only way to do it was to make me relive one of the single most crushing things in my life." Elena replies sarcastically.

"I shouldn't have kidnapped you," He parks the car. "The car, the bridge, forcing my blood down you, it was too far and no about of apologies will make up for it, but I truly am." He knew when he took her on Wickery Bridge he had crossed a line, but he didn't think it would affect Elena on such a level. She nods her head.

"Thank you."

"But you shouldn't have lied to me today. You can't go off and do things like that, Elena, not while Klaus is still alive."

"I know. I just...I wanted to give Bonnie a moment with her Mom...without everything else getting in the way."

"Without me getting in the way." Stefan knows what she means.

"Stefan…" She trails off.

"Elena…say something. Please." He grips his steering wheel.

"I'm scared if I do, I'll lose you. You're showing the side of you I fell in love with and if I tell you what I have to, you'll go back to this non-feeling, Damon-wannabe act."

"I caught the beginning of your conversation with, Lexx." Well that was embarrassing.

"Stupid vampire hearing." Elena whispers, opening the door in a hurry.

"Elena, wait." Stefan yells, using his vampire speed to catch up to her.

"The only thing I could think about, was you when it was-" And then Stefan is kissing her with everything he has, trying to make up for lost time. He grips her face carefully, but the kiss is forceful. Elena instantly places her hands on Stefan's wrists and relishes in the feeling of having his mouth on hers for the first time in months. Stefan pulls away from her, breathing heavily.

"This can't happen again, Elena." Stefan says removing his hands from her face. His breathing is still heavy as walks back to his car.

"We'll see about that." Elena calls out to him, still breathless.

* * *

"Who's the text from?" Care asks Bonnie as her phone goes off.

"Abby wanted to let me know she got here safe."

"Your feet are cold, Elle!" I scream. She pokes her tongue out at me.

"Okay, well make sure to tell her we're having a movie marathon and we don't want any more interruptions." Elle says, cuddling farther into our shared blanket. Bonnie laughs.

"You got it."

 _From Damon: It's done._

* * *

"You've got your family back finally. You gonna open them?" The hybrid asks Klaus.

"Not quite yet. I still have some unfinished business to take care of." Klaus answers, walking into another room.

"What business?" Suddenly he falls to the floor, dead. Elijah is standing behind him with his heart in his hand.

"So, Niklaus... " He drops the heart.

"Elijah." Niklaus is stunned at the sight of his brother standing in front of him, undaggered.

"What did I miss?"


	7. Chapter 7

Musical inspiration this chapter: Marcha Fúnebre - Frédéric Chopin

Hope you haven't eaten, dinner is on its way.

I don't own The Notebook.

* * *

Bringing Out the Dead, Wakes Up the Neighbors Part I

"You look surprised to see me. So, it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest?" Elijah gathered he was right from the look of shock on his face.

"You look like you could do with a drink and we have a lot to discuss, so shall we?" Klaus asks tentatively, right as Elijah attacks him, making him fly through a door. "Easy; I just finished renovating." Klaus races towards Elijah and slams him down on a table, breaking it.

"You know you have every right to be mad at me, but I kept my word, I reunited you with our family," Klaus gets out snidely, as Elijah lands a punch to his face, sending him into the room with the rest of the coffins. He takes this chance to open Kol's coffin and grab the dagger from his chest. "Don't make me do this to you again, Elijah!" Klaus yells with the dagger aimed at his chest and his hand wrapped around his throat.

"Come on, use it. I dare you," His voice is strained, but fierce. "You'll have Kol to deal with." He knew Kol was a wild card.

Klaus ponders this before releasing him. "Mikael is dead."

"What did you say?" He couldn't believe what Klaus had just said.

"I killed him with his own weapon. He's gone Elijah, forever."

"Why does our family remain in these coffins? Finn for over nine hundred years, Kol for over a century." Mikael was the reason they'd been running and if he was dead, then why was his family still daggered?

"Because of Stefan Salvatore; he holds the one thing keeping me from freeing them. There are things that you do not know about our past, Elijah, our Mother's death, things I never wanted you to know, but I'm ready to tell you now. I only ask that you remember the oath of loyalty you once swore to me."

"What are you doing?" Elijah watches as Niklaus places the dagger back into Kol.

"Always and forever. I need you to stand by my side. Be my brother, help me destroy Stefan, and I promise you our family will be whole again."

* * *

"This is an unconventional conversation we're about to have, so I hope you'll protect me on it." Sheriff Forbes starts off addressing Care, Elena, Bonnie and I.

"Is something the matter, Mom?" Caroline asks. "Why did you want all of us here?"

"A medical examiner was found staked." I blurt out in a hurry.

"Alexandra!" Sheriff Forbes yells.

"What? No point in wasting time and besides, the pancakes are gonna get cold." I grab one from off the plate.

"Now that you know our medical examiner was murdered," She glares at me. "You should also know it was the night of the Wickery Bridge fundraiser."

"Yeah, his name was Brian Walters." I drown my pancake in syrup.

"We've been investigating," Sheriff Forbes places the stake bagged in a evidence bag on the counter. "Someone drove this stake through his heart." Elena eyes widen in shock.

"That's one of ours. I mean this is one of a set from my parent's lake house." She couldn't understand how it had gotten here. Yeah the lake house was secluded, but someone would have to know where the stakes were and knew that vampires existed.

"That's why I'm telling you. I haven't told anyone, but forensics ran it for prints and found only one clean set; yours."

"What?" All four of us ask.

* * *

"So, you're the prime suspect, huh?" Damon asks Elena.

"She doesn't think that I did it, she's just trying to find out why somebody used one of my family weapons to kill a council member."

"Well, why don't you just ask Ric if his dirty little doctor had access to the weapons." Damon asks. _It's too early for this, Damon…_

"You're on speaker phone, dick." Alaric responds.

"Uncle Ric!" I laugh.

"Sorry, kid." _This is the last time we do a conference call with Damon._

"I'm just sayin', first suspects usually the right one. Don't get so defensive."

"Shut up, Damon." Bonnie beats me to the punch.

"But Brian Walters was killed days ago, right?" Care asks.

"Right and I didn't show Meredith this stuff until last night!" Ric yells exasperatedly.

"It wasn't Meredith, Alaric." Bonnie tries comforting Ric.

"But, Brian Walters was her ex-boyfriend and Ric saw them fighting that night." Damon continues.

"It's not Meredith, okay?" Elena couldn't let Alaric think he was cursed. "I refuse to believe that your luck with women is that tragic." First it was Isobel leaving him to become a vampire, then Klaus murdered Jenna, and now it was Meredith.

"Who else knows about your secret little slayer stash?" Damon asks Ric. _Why did he make it sound like porn?_

"Who doesn't? Got weapons everywhere, here, the school, my loft, your car." _Most teachers have confiscated cell phones in their desks_ _._

"Well it's Klaus, it has to be. He's screwing with us…again." Care sighs, unconsciously rubbing her neck where Tyler's bite use to be.

"What if it was Stefan? He was crazy that night, and you know he was trying to get underneath Klaus's skin, he was capable of pretty much anything." Elena makes a good point.

"True, but, how does killing a random guy that has far as we know, has no ties to Klaus, prove a point?" I wasn't sold on the idea. _Maybe Stefan knew something we didn't_.

"Aah, makes me nostalgic for the time that Stefan was a bunny snacking pacifist," He joked, but he missed the days of Stefan being on his side instead of against him. "Anyway, got to go. You'll know more later."

"Hey, where are you?" Ric asks before he can hang up.

"Tea with an old friend."

"I bet you can't even remember what tea _taste_ like, Damon." Bonnie snorts.

"Bye, witch," Damon mocks, before hanging up. _Well that was…interesting._ "Elijah, my favorite original, back from the dead. You clean up nice."

"You left something in my jacket pocket." Elijah pulls out the note.

"Oh, yeah. 'Dear Elijah, let's get together, plot the destruction of your brother, XOXO'."

"Damon." Elijah didn't have time for games.

"Was I right to undagger you or are we gonna have a problem like last time?" He challenges.

"I'm here, let's talk."

"I'll start with an easy question, any idea what kind of Klaus killing weapon could be magically sealed in a mystery coffin?"

* * *

"Slow, down!" Abby yells trying to catch up to Stefan in the cave.

"Keep up, we don't have much time."

"I didn't have a choice, Stefan." Bonnie apologizes.

"It was a choice, Bonnie, you made it and now we have to live with it. You told Klaus where the coffins were and he took them. All of them except this one." He was angry and down three coffins.

"That's the one that's sealed?" Abby questions.

"Yep. Fortunately it seems to be the one he cares about most." Stefan responds.

"Aren't you coming inside?" Abby was confused as to way he'd stopped at the entrance.

"Vampires can't get in. Damon had to compelled a couple of Lockwood gardeners to bring the coffin in."

"This is a bad idea." Abby states. This was exactly why she didn't want Bonnie or Jamie involved in magic.

"Look, if you're really the key to opening up that coffin, I think it's a pretty safe bet you're on Klaus's hit-list, so I suggest you hideout here and figure out a way to open up the damn thing." He didn't have time for apprehension.

"I told you, I don't have my powers under control, but I'll do the best I can."

"And I don't believe you. Won't be long before Klaus calls his hybrids to find that coffin and kill all of us, Bonnie included." Abby didn't like threats, especially ones aimed at her children.

"Are you threatening my daughter?" Bonnie's eyes widen. Stefan could feel a slight throb at the forefront of his temple that hadn't existed before.

"Dig deep, Abby Bennett and scrape out whatever magic you have left," He leaves the two to their work, rubbing his forehead. When he comes outside, Elena's waiting in the front of the entrance to the cave. "What are you doing here?" He hadn't expect to see her so soon.

"Bonnie told me that you guys would be here," She was unsure of how to act around him after their kiss last night. "I need to talk to you."

"Well, there's nothing to talk about. I'm just focused on getting this coffin open." And making sure a repeat of last night doesn't happen again.

"Did you kill the medical examiner?"

"Why would you think I did that?" His voice had taken on a softer tone.

"Maybe because I don't know what you're capable of anymore." The kiss wasn't helping either.

"Well, believe what you want, Elena." He didn't have to stand there and deal with answering her questions, they weren't together anymore.

"I don't want to believe any of it, Stefan." She stares at him until he shifts his focus to the side of the cave.

"But you had to ask me anyway."

"Stefan..." She needed an answer.

"Did you ask Damon... if he killed anybody lately?" If he got grilled, so should Damon.

"Damon's not the one I care about Stefan," Elena had to let Stefan know that. "He's not the one I kissed last night." Stefan wasn't ready for her bold statement.

A beat passes before Stefan walks by Elena, but he pauses and turns around. "No. I didn't kill the medical examiner, Elena." Stefan says before walking out. She stares after him.

"I'll get to you yet, Stefan." Elena says with a soft smile.

* * *

"How you holding up, Mr. Forbes?" I ask, walking into his hospital room.

"Better now that I see you have cinnamon rolls. They're my favorite!"

"Care figured you'd be tired of hospital food," I take a seat next to him. "You still didn't answer my question."

"A little sore, but it's to be expected after getting attacked by a werewolf and then almost killed by whoever attacked me." Hybrid actually, but that's not important.

"You're lucky Care decided it'd be better for you to heal on your own instead of using her blood; you could've been a vampire." Trying to force a shift on the wolf side of a hybrid, came with its risks as Bill found out. I guess they had made progress because from what Bill had told Care, Tyler had managed to snap out of his haze and bolt before he could kill Bill.

He'd got to the hospital and claimed he'd been attacked by an animal, which was true, and Meredith had been tempted to give him some vampire blood, but Care axed it; no need to add to his vampire hate. She'd discharged him late last night just so she wouldn't have to hear him threaten to get her medical license revoked. Care had come to pick him with Elena in tow, when she called his cell phone, it lead her to a medical supply room. Care and Elena had found him with knife in his stomach. Luckily, the knife had missed anything major and just enter in his large bowel, but he had ended right back in the hospital and Care hadn't left his side much.

"I know."

"You know? Because right now with everything that's going on, Care could really use her Dad right now, but it seems like you can't stand to be near her."

"My daughter is the very thing I promised I would kill," He sighs. "I love Care, she's grown up to be a beautiful, smart young woman, but..." _You're still gonna leave._

"Just realize Care isn't like the other vampires you've met; she doesn't kill people for fun or compel them to do whatever she wants. She helps keep Mystic Falls safe, she risked her life just to help Tyler transition, and while you might not like it, she drinks from a blood bag instead of offing people. Hell, she even eats food, so do me a favor and don't lump her in with the bad apples." A look of surprise crosses his face.

"She eats food, why would she do that?" He knew there was no point in that; they couldn't taste it.

"Stefan helped her when she was transitioning, said it helps with the cravings. I honestly think that's one of the things that helps keep her human."

"It doesn't change the fact that she's a vampire. Once I meet back up with Tyler and help him break his sire bond, I'm leaving." Bill sighs. _Can't say I didn't try._

"You're willing to risk getting attacked by a hybrid again, but you won't stay a little while longer to spend time with your daughter?" He was so goddamn unbelievable! "She's seventeen, what do you want from her, Bill?" What was he expecting from her? "The most life or death situation she had to worry about, was what kind of routine to put together for the cheerleading squad! She's still a kid, your kid, the same Care who eats chocolate ice cream and cries at _The Notebook._ " A look of understanding flashes across his eyes as a knock comes at the door.

"Hey, Lexx. Thanks for dropping off the cinnamon roll, had to go take Mom lunch. I'm surprised you're still here." Caroline thought she'd be getting ready for the party. She would've went but she was staying with her Dad, Bonnie was trying to get the coffin open with Abby and Elena wasn't in a partying mode what with being a murder suspect; she was happy at least one of them was doing something that didn't involve coffins and hybrids.

"We started talking, but I'm about to head to Kate's party."

"That explains the hair," Care gestures towards the loose waves and small braid on either side of my head that I've connected to the back of my hair. "You're wearing that green bodycon dress I helped you pick out, right?" Care flips her hair. Bill laughs.

"Yeah." I stand up and give her hug. When I causally mentioned to Care about maybe going, she was already dragging me out the door and to the nearest store to help me look for a dress.

"Well, thank you for stopping by, Alexandra."

"No problem. See you later, Carebear."

* * *

Parking the car in front of Klaus' house, I get out to met him and Stefan.

"What are you wearing?" Damon leans against his car door taking in my dress.

"I went to a party." I shrug my shoulders as we walk.

"You went to a party with everything that's going on?" Stefan asks.

"With this life, you need a balance of normal and supernatural," I state. "It was kinda my last hurrah since Care is gonna crack the whip at cheer practice later this week."

"Nice to know you know how to prioritize." Damon voices.

"Why would I sit at home until it was time to come to a dinner I didn't want to go to, when I could be at a party where there was food, good music, and no psychopaths?"

"There's food here." _So, you're just gonna ignore the part about psychopaths?_

"It might be poisoned," Stefan lets out a short laugh. "Why'd you want me here anyways?" I turn to Damon as he knock on the door.

"You're here to be a second mediator in case things get out of hand," He needed her here to confirm his suspicions. "You were always the peacemaker when things got tense." _Second?_ A man in a suit opens the door.

"Our guests have arrived." I couldn't be sure if he was a hybrid or not, but I knew I wasn't convinced by Damon's answer.

"Feels like I antagonize Niklaus sometimes." We had finally crossed the threshold and I could see a table was set with five plates.

"I second that." Niklaus remarks, his lips curved to form a smirk, when his face changes. _Ookay then._ Maybe it was my hair; I usually just wore my hair with its kinks and coils, but I had decided to get braids. Klaus had seen braids before right? I reach for it to make sure a piece isn't stuck to another one; everything felt fine.

"Elena being here is a no for obvious reasons, Barbie and Bonnie don't know this is happening, so that leaves you." I'm human, Damon, not a lot I can do.

"And you're okay with me being here, 'cause that doesn't sound likely." I ask Niklaus. Before I can get an answer, my foot catches on the dress. Niklaus has his hands wrapped around waist before I hit the floor. I gawk at him, not expecting him to have done that. I look at him tensely before I move out of his hands. Stefan wasn't sure what was happening with Klaus but he knew he didn't like that it included Lexx.

"Maybe he wants someone here to actually enjoy the food." Damon smirks, making his way to the table. Looked like he was shaping up to be right.

"Are you Elijah?" He fit the description Elena had given me; five eleven, brown hair, brown eyes.

"I am and you must be, Alexandra," He holds his hand out for me to shake. "I hear you're the peacemaker of the group, so your skills will be of great use tonight."

"Between the two us, I didn't have much of a choice. Bonnie would've killed Damon and Damon would've murdered everyone in town," I throw Damon a knowing look. He quickly advents his eyes to a painting on the wall. "I knew Bonnie could handle him if I left. Besides, everyone doesn't think before they act, so it was only a matter of time before I was back here and walking into a possible trap." Elijah could see Elena had surrounded herself with like-minded people.

"And you still came."

"I hear Niklaus has a far reach, why not meet him at his doorstep before he kicks my door in?" I didn't know how much time I had anyways, might has well be of help while I'm still breathing.

"The lot of you are so quick to protect one another." Klaus mocks. I ignore his insult just to spite him.

"I hear you're suppose to be the other mediator, but part of being one is being calm, and I hear you like throwing small objects at things?" He laughs. Elena had recalled how Elijah had threw rocks at the front door to the Gilbert's cabin after Damon and Uncle Ric had tried to kill him with the dagger and didn't know it needed to stay in for it to work.

"I like to make use of my surroundings and only when provoked." He replies. Klaus wasn't too thrilled with being ignored.

"Alexandra, you can flirt with my brother later," There's a slight edge to his voice. "Damon, Stefan. Elijah tells me you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men, shall we?" Klaus asks, taking his seat. I wasn't flirting, just to clear things up.

"It's better to indulge him." Elijah responds sitting down next to him. _He's like a little kid throwing a tantrum._

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus," They weren't a group of friends hanging out and enjoying each others' company. "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all. But I was told I had to 'cause you would hear us out." Stefan retorts.

"Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours." I can see Stefan isn't gonna move, so I make my way to the table.

"What's following one more order from a white cis male?" Before I can reach my seat, a girl with blonde hair pulls it out for me. Looking around I see there are four girls dressed as servers. _I'd have to figure something out to get them out of here._

"Thank you, love." Damon thanks the brunette girl, who is more than likely compelled, as she pours his wine.

"You lost your appetite." Klaus states and I don't know if he's talking to me, Stefan, or both of us, since we're not eating.

"Eat. I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home." Damon taunts Stefan, but I know he's serious. Stefan picks up his fork and cuts into his lamb roast. I stretch my fork to the platter resigning in the center of the table and stab a stem of broccoli before placing it in my mouth. I can see Stefan trying to fight down his smile while he pays more attention than is needed to cut his meat into small pieces.

"That's the spirit," Klaus sends me a fiendish smirk. He could appreciate a good jig in his direction. Elijah is baffled at the display and more shocked that Klaus hasn't reacted violently. "Isn't it nice, four of us dining together? Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" He knows damn well there are five people sitting at this table.

"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier." Damon responds. If that's the case, why isn't Klaus dead?

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century, but we always make it through." Is that when you have him daggered or...?

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right? Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her." In swoops Stefan with a possible TKO that could get his head slammed into the table.

"Stefan," If he kept this up, Niklaus was gonna stick his hand in the fireplace. "We didn't come here to talk about his sister."

"It's quite alright, Alexandra," Klaus allows. "If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our Mother, I've already come clean to Elijah." Niklaus recovers with a hit to the dome.

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed Dad? Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert." And that was the sound of me choking on my water _._ He didn't have to be so nonchalant about it.

"Are you okay, Alexandra?" Elijah questions. I can only manage a weak smile. I'm pretty sure I'm at the world's most tense dinner party.

"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses." I try covering my snort with a cough. I accidentally make eye contact with Klaus and quickly advert my eyes.

"I'm just saying we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

* * *

 **A/N** : What do you think about dinner so far?


	8. Chapter 8

Bringing Out the Dead, Wakes Up the Neighbors Part II

"Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah inquires, moving to more tame matters. _Damon said pace, not sprint, Elijah._

"I don't know. Ask Lexx." Stefan volunteers me. Four sets of eyes turn their attention to me.

"She's with Caroline." At Elijah's lost expression, Klaus explains.

"I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Uh, trouble in paradise." Klaus laughs. I couldn't let him get away with that.

"One more word about, Elena and this dinner's over." Stefan threatens. I clear my throat.

"Niklaus figured you'd still be mad about him daggering you so, he wagered his blood for Damon's werewolf bite in exchange for Stefan leaving town with him," I feel Stefan give to my hand a light squeeze underneath the table _. Y_ _ou are still in there._ "How about we just don't bring her up?" Klaus laughs silently to himself.

"Yeah, probably best just to keep Elena in the 'do not discuss' pile." Stefan says, changing the topic.

"You're probably right." Klaus agrees.

"Yeah." Damon seconds as his phone vibrates. _From Bonnie: Getting closer, I need more time._

"So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah suggests.

"That's very simple; Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. Stefan and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges." Damon sums up.

"The deal sounds fair, brother." I see why Elena liked Elijah.

"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood insures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me," He puts his hand on table and leans forwards. "I will _never_ leave her behind." He states menacingly. I didn't know if Niklaus actually wanted more hybrids or if he was obsessed with Elena.

"I don't know," I find myself saying. "I hear you left her body pretty quickly after you drained her to break your curse." I remind him coyly. He smirks darkly.

"Would you rather I kill you then?" He wouldn't mind sinking his teeth into her too.

"I'd rather you make a better offer; it's not an even trade off." It was a good thing Elena wasn't here to hear this.

"Even? How long do you think it'll be before she dies caught between their feuding?" I tense up and he smiles as he notices. "You see, each one of them truly believes that they're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. The worst things for Elena Gilbert...are these two," He laughs suddenly. I eye him like he's gone mad. "It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger is still so strong," He shakes his head in amazement. "What do you say, brother, should we tell them about, Tatia?" Klaus questions.

 _"_ Tatia?" I ask with false interest. I wasn't sure how Niklaus' train of thought worked, but if it kept him from sprouting b.s about stalking Elena for the rest of her life, I would keep him talking.

"Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?" Elijah questions somewhat nervously. Now what would he have to be nervous about? _I don't like this._

"Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line." Now I was interested.

"Yeah," I point my index finger and thumb in his direction as if say 'you're right'. "Elena did say that you needed a doppelgänger from the Petrova bloodline to become a hybrid, but I've been wondering how that could've been if Katherine wasn't the original."

"Well, we're not going anywhere Elijah," This story would buy Bonnie and Abby more time. "Please, do tell." Damon insists.

"When our family first settled here, there was a girl named, Tatia, she was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man," I purse my mouth in aggravation. Elijah notices. "Am I telling the story wrong, Alexandra?" He asks bemusedly.

"Sorry, I forgot how much value men put in a women's virginity in that day and age, even though their hands were about as clean has the bottom of a shoe covered in mud." I roll my eyes. They probably wanted a virgin so they couldn't tell if they were good or bad in bed. Elijah laughs and nods his head before continuing.

"And none loved her more than, Niklaus." He finishes. Here I thought I was caught up on everything Klaus related.

"You…you were in love?" I ask shocked, eyeing him up and down. That sentence didn't sound right.

"You seem surprised." Klaus responds. _Have you met you?_

"You compelled Jeremy to stand in front of a moving car a week ago," I scoff. "Forgive me if I can't picture you handing hands and walking down a beach at sunset." Klaus nods his head in understanding.

"Though I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much." Klaus picks the story up right where Elijah left off.

"Wait a minute, so you both loved the same girl?" Stefan asks a bit too smugly in my opinion. _You were in the same boat once upon a time, Stefan..._ Elijah ignores Stefan's comment.

"Our Mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her."

"Elijah and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our Mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires." What the hell was wrong with this family tree?

"Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time Niklaus and I...grew estranged. Harsh words were traded; we even came to blows didn't we, brother?" Elijah asks. Stefan and Damon had _nothing_ on them.

"But in the end, we realized the sacred bond of family." Klaus finishes.

"Family above all." Elijah and Klaus recite as they clink their glasses.

"Where's the punchline?" I ask quietly as I get up from my chair.

"What are you talking about, Lexx?" Stefan asks exasperated. If she kept interrupting, they were never gonna get to an agreement.

"You're telling me your Mother…murdered a girl you were both in love with, probably slit her throat to fill your glasses and serve you her blood like it was wine, made sure you downed it and then," A slight bubble of hysteria raises from me. "And then turned you into vampires?" I exhale a shaky breathe. "That's a bad joke, even for you, Niklaus, so tell me the rest of the joke," I demand and I can barely make out Niklaus getting up from his seat over my brim of tears. "Now."

"Lexx-" Damon starts, but I cut him off.

"I'm sorry, but I can't be here." I manage to get out before a make a dash for the door. I've only made it past Stefan's car parked in the driveway, when I hear Niklaus behind me.

"You can't get very far without these." I turn around to see he has my purse in his hands. Where my car keys are. Not like I'm gonna be able to focus on the road anyways.

"Keep 'em, I'll call someone to pick me up." I learned from Elena to never go driving when you have too much on our mind; after she found the picture of Katherine in Stefan's room's, she booked it, and didn't see the guy until it was too late. Her car was flipped over and he was dead...or so she thought before he started snapping his bones back in place and walking towards her to do God knows what.

Luckily Damon was there or maybe he was stalking her like the other vampire who turned out to be her stalker, but either way, you see my point. I keep walking, hoping to put space between us. I was still reeling from the story and the last thing I wanted was contact with him. Who the hell was I gonna call? Maybe Matt could pick me up.

"It's nothing to get worked up about," He catches up to me. "It happened over a thousand years ago." He didn't expect there to be tears at the reveal of his origin. _This was the longest he'd ever talked to me._

"Well I'll be mad for you," His eyes take on a cautious look. I stop beside him. "How can you be so unaffected by all of this?"

"I learned long ago that life ever rarely works out the way you want it to." That notion had left his mind the moment he found out why his Father held such disdain for him.

"She's your _Mom_ ; she's supposed to protect you from all the bad things in the world that can cause you pain, not _inflict_ them."

"And a Mother isn't suppose to chose her husband over her own child." He states. I feel my body recoil away from him at the new piece of information.

"You didn't have a slither of a chance did you, Niklaus?" I place my hand on my forehead.

"Afraid not." He admits lowly.

"I think I'm starting to understand you a little bit better after tonight." I admit reluctantly. He gave the phrase 'broken home' a whole new meaning.

"Do you want me to go get Stefan or Damon to drive you home?" I snap my head up in surprise. Wasn't he just threatening to rip out Stefan's insides out not even an hour ago and now he was concerned about me getting home safe? I snort.

"You're concerned about my safety, Niklaus?" This was turning out to be a strange night.

"Maybe I feel partly to blame for the state you're in," I laugh as a thought occurs to me. "What?" He searches my face with tentative eyes.

"Tatia," I sigh. "It means 'to have more than one root'; appropriate isn't it?" I ask.

"Indeed it is."

"Lexx!" Damon calls out. "Hey, you okay?" He puts his hand on my arm.

"Yeah, you and Stefan can stay here and try to work out some kind of deal, I can make it home." I pat his arm reassuringly to tell him I'll be okay.

"Now what kind of gentlemen would I be if I let you drive home?" Turning from Damon, I see Elijah walking towards me and Stefan standing on the porch. _I didn't realize leaving would draw an audience._

"Whenever you guys are done, I'd like to get back to our meeting." Stefan voices bored.

"He's right, Elijah-" But I'm cut off.

"Since Klaus already has your keys, let him drive you." Elijah suggests.

"Unless you're planning on letting me borrow one of those daggers, I'm fine driving." Elijah chuckles.

"It would give Damon, Stefan, and I a chance to work out a deal without Niklaus' antics and I feel he should be the one to escort you home since he felt the need to drudge up Tatia." _Dammit._ An idea crosses my mind.

"On one condition; you let those girls go home."

"Sounds fair."

"Is this one of those things where you try to get Niklaus to make up for his wrong doings?" I ask Elijah jokingly.

"It is; a gentleman should always own up to his mistakes and make amends." Elijah recites.

"Oh, is it? Then you and I will have to discuss somethings later," If he felt that way then he should make sure he stood firm in that. "Your brother isn't what I'd call a gentleman." I reach for my door, only to have Niklaus beat me to it. He smirks. Once I get in, I strap myself in, preparing myself for the long drive ahead of me. Once they drive off, Elijah turns to Damon.

"Think that'll buy you enough time?"

"Bonnie is gonna have plenty of time to get the coffin open now; Lexx's reaction was more than I could have hoped for; she's helped more than she realizes." Damon responds.

"You planned Lexx's reaction? When?" Stefan had seen alot of things, but there was no way they could've known how Lexx would react in there.

"Bonnie texted that she needed more time, I showed it to Elijah and he had the idea of suggesting Klaus take Lexx home after she stormed out," Damon explains. "What made you so sure he would take her home?" Damon was curious has to why he thought Lexx was gonna be such a big help to them.

"When she cried, I knew it would awaken something in Niklaus. She showed him compassion, something he probably has been shown in a millennium."

"But what made you think he would bring Tatia up?" Stefan asks, walking back into the house.

"I knew he wouldn't be able to pass up an opportunity to antagonize you."

* * *

"Let's say I do leave Elena here under Stefan and Damon's protection, what then?" Niklaus asks as he drives down the world's longest road, at least that's what its felt like since I've been in the car. "How long before one of them turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before-"

"Don't act like you give a damn about, Elena," Who was he trying to fool with this act? "She would be rotting in a grave if John hadn't asked Bonnie to link his life to hers. This is about one thing, and that's you winning." He wants her alive to build a hybrid army, he'd already admitted that.

"What she needs right now is to be rid of the Salvatore Brothers and to fall in love with a human, maybe that nice football player, you know the blond one?" _This bastard was serious._

"Is this what you were gonna pitch tonight," I ask in absolute disbelief. "That Elena marries Matt and spends every minute of her life checking behind her to see when you're gonna come and withdraw blood from her like she's a bank?"

"It guarantees that she won't because a vampire; they get married, live a long and fruitful life, and pop out a few kids." He explains softly.

"And what about what she wants, what she wants with, Stefan? You want the Petrova bloodline to keep going, so every few hundred years, you'll have a new doppelgänger to drain and never run out of hybrids." I can feel the bile rising in my throat.

"After I get my coffin back, I'll ensure her safety for the rest of her natural life; you know it's what's best for her." 'What's best for me', you mean to say.

"I would've thought that after what you told me, you wouldn't take someone's choice away." Niklaus finally reaches Bonnie's house and barely has the car in park, when my hand is on the handle, opening the door to make my escape.

"It would seem you have a habit of leaving these behind," I can hear him shaking the keys from behind me. I try to snatch them from him, but he pulls them out of reach. "I apologize for causing you distress tonight; I didn't realize the story would elect such a response from you." He places the keys in my hand and let's me make my escape. I insert the key in the lock before stepping into the house and turn around to look at him.

"You try to act detached, but you honestly don't know how to get past what your Mother did to you, so you make everyone you come in contact with feel utterly powerless and scared," I state. "And the sad part is, you've killed her and yet, you're using this army of hybrids to fill whatever she took from you," I close the door behind me, threw my keys on the stand, and dive onto the couch, hoping to forget my conversation with Niklaus. My phone ringing cuts through the silence. "Hello?" I answer without checking the name.

"How are you holding up?" The voice asks.

"Jeremy," I breathe, my body jumping up from the couch. "Hey." I could feel some of the tension leave me.

"Are you okay?" He was hanging out with a few of the kids from his new school at the local burger place when Elena called. A blonde haired girl with curly hair, whose name was Liv, was trying to get his attention through the glass window but he needed to make sure Lexx was okay. "Do you need me to come back?" Didn't Damon compel him to not think twice about coming back? Did the rings interfere with compelling holding?

"Why would you come back for me?"

"Lexx... Ric is in the hospital." He voices sadly. No, he was home.

"What are talking about?"

"Elena called, said something about him not being responsive," His grip tightens on the phone. "She thinks it's from when he got hit, he might have a concussion."

"O...okay," I breath out unsteadily. "Uh, I'm gonna go to the hospital to meet her there." This night would not let up.

"Lexx-"

"This is Alaric we're talking about; he's a fighter." I say, trying assure both him and me.

"Keep me updated."

"Like you did when I left?" I joke lightly, trying to shift the conversation.

"They were half-truths," He clarifies. "But no. Just tell me outright so I'm not worrying while I'm trying to date." _Ooh_ _._

"Yeah, uh, definitely don't want the ladies thinking you're not giving them your undivided attention," I grab my car keys off the table. "I'll call you once I get there." I say hanging up the phone before he can say another sentence.

* * *

"Ah, you're back. How is Alexandra feeling?" Elijah asks as Klaus comes through the door.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Klaus avoids the question.

"Where are your manners, brother?" One of the servers brings out a tray hidden under a cloth. "We forgot dessert." Taking the cover off, he reveals two silver daggers. Klaus becomes frightened at the site before him.

"What have you done?"

"You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus," He'd gotten a dagger shoved in the last time he trusted Klaus to unite him with his family after he saved Bonnie from killing him after he broke his curse. "We're doing this on my terms now."

"Kol." Klaus is stunned at his sudden appearance.

"Long time, brother." He greets. Klaus starts to back away, when Finn makes his presence known.

"Finn, don't!" Klaus pleads as he grabs a dagger and stabs him through the hand. "AAH!" The dagger is quickly removed so another sibling can have a chance. "Rebekah?" He finishes right has she thrusts the dagger through his abdomen.

"This is for our Mother." Klaus falls into Kol's arms where he restrains him. Elijah looks to Damon and Stefan.

"You're free to go; this is family business."

* * *

"You and Bonnie were right about, Elijah," Stefan compliments as he and Damon are walking to the Lockwood cellar. "Undaggering him was a smart move."

"Wow, actual acknowledgement of a job well done. You're going soft, Stefan."

"Oh, really, so, I guess I shouldn't-" The sound of his cell phone stops him. "Elena, what's-"

"Ric was attacked." She voices meekly.

"What, when?" Damon asks.

"A few hours ago, I figured he'd be alright if I killed him since I'm a doppelgänger. He hasn't woken up yet." She sniffles.

"Okay, well, what about Meredith, has Liz come up with anything?" Damon questions.

"I just talked to her, she was called into surgery six hours ago and has been there since."

"Then who could it be?" Stefan asks.

"I don't know. But the attack on Ric, makes this the third member of the Founder's Council," Elena answers, as Alaric wakes up and starts coughing. "He just woke up, I gotta go." Elena finishes, ending the call.

"Since when are you and Elena back on speaking terms?" Damon thought things could possibly be getting back to normal.

"Since I apologized for taking her on Wickery Bridge." And kissed her.

"Yeah, that was dick move and this is coming for me." Damon laughs.

"It was the only thing I could think of to prove to Klaus I was serious but, I'm sorry that I had to do it."

"You love her don't you?" Damon asks suddenly.

"I do, Damon. I really do." Stefan admits. Nodding his head, Damon stops walking before he enters the cavern.

"Then I can back off. I don't want us turning into Klaus and Elijah."

"Then I would really like my brother back." Stefan counters.

"That can happen," Damon answers with a pat on Stefan's back. "Let's hope Big Witch and Little Witch got that coffin open."

"Something's gotta make this night worthwhile." Entering the cavern, they see Bonnie and Abby on the floor, unconscious.

"Bonnie!" Damon checks her pulse anxiously. "She's still breathing." Damon breathes out in relief. Stefan see's that Damon is cradling her body and he can't help but think that was how he was holding her when she faked her death the night of the decade dance.

"Abby is too, I can hear her," Stefan sees the coffin is open. "They manged to get the coffin open."

"Well, it's not gonna do us any good," Damon observes from his spot on the floor. He wasn't leaving Bonnie alone. "Whatever's in it is gone."

* * *

"I like what you've done with the new place, Nik." Rebekah throws a vase at the wall, knocking a picture off of it.

"I wanted it to be for all of us," Klaus replies, choked up. "A place we could all call home. A place we could all be a family. None of us would ever have to be alone again."

"Well you're right, none of us will be." Elijah retorts.

"You're staying behind." Finn continues.

"We're leaving you, Nik. Right after I kill that doppelgänger wench, then you will be alone. Always and forever." Rebekah states.

"If you run, I will hunt all of you down." Klaus growls angrily.

"Then you'll become everything you hate; our Father." Elijah responds. Klaus snaps.

"I'M THE HYBRID! I CAN'T BE KILLED!" He points to them. "I have nothing to fear from any of you."

"You will when we have that coffin." Elijah says menacingly. Everyone turns around as they hear a door open. Klaus feels has if a dagger is still lodged in his abdomen at the arrival of his Mother. Her coffin had required two witches of the same bloodline to unseal it.

"Mother?" Rebekah questions shocked. Hadn't Elena told her Klaus murdered her?She goes to stand before a fearful Klaus who can't bare to face her. His own Mother was here to kill him; who wouldn't be horrified?

"Look at me," Klaus meets her with a restored defiance in his stance. "Do you know why I'm here?" Klaus feels his bravado crumple at the thought of his impending death.

"You're here to kill me." His stance was stable, but his voice was wavering.

"Niklaus, you are my son and I am here to forgive you. I want us to be a family again."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: 'Dangerous Liaisons' will be in four parts.**

Musical inspiration this chapter: Best Friend - Brandy

Wear something nice, you're invited to a ball.

* * *

Dangerous Liaisons Are Bound To Spark A Fire Part I

"I'm not leaving, Uncle Ric." I prop my feet up on the hospital chair and cross my arms.

"Kid, you've been here the last four hours, you need sleep," I open my mouth. "In your own bed." He finishes, cutting me off. _Real cute old man._

"Then I'll stay." Elena barely holds back her yawn.

"This is the second time in a week you've almost been killed!" Didn't he understand how serious this was?

"You don't think I know that?" He grimaces while sitting up in the hospital bed. "I appreciate you being worried about me, but you haven't gotten a good night's sleep since you've been here. It's late," He was right; between Klaus' dinner party from hell and sleeping in a plastic chair for the last two days, my body was stiff, I needed something besides hospital food that was under seasoned and a shower that didn't have a call button I may have hit a few times by accident. "You'll have plenty of time to hover over me when ever they decide to discharge me." He wanted to see something else besides the four white walls and a heart monitor.

"Ric-" Elena starts to speak, but I cut her off. I'd just call Damon to come up here.

"Fine, I'll be here as soon you call me." Getting up, I push my chair back to the wall and walk to his bed.

"Good and I don't want you guys back here before twelve."

"Oh, come on, Uncle Ric!"

"That's plenty of time for me to go shopping for new locks. Let's go, Lexx." Elena replies. Uncle Ric had come to the conclusion that maybe someone human had snuck in the house and tried to kill him. It seemed a little far-fetched, but I wasn't gonna argue with the man; he was the one that was stabbed, not me.

"Fine. Get some rest, alright?" He nods. I bend down to kiss his forehead and close his door. I see Matt pacing the linoleum floor.

"How's Mr. Saltzman doing?"

"Resigned to spending the night in observation, so long as I promise to change the lock on the house." Elena answers.

"But he's crabby; he doesn't want us here before noon." I fold my arms.

"And how are you guys holding up?" Matt puts his left arm around my shoulder and the other around Elena.

"A little shaken up, but I'll be fine. I just want Ric to get better." Elena answers.

"I'll feel better once I know who did this, but right now, I just wanna get home and make sure Bon is okay," Bonnie had understood I wanted to make sure Uncle Ric was okay and I hadn't seen her see I'd been here. I wrap my arm around Matt's waist. "Thanks for giving me a ride here the other night." I had been so shaken up after Jeremy's call, I couldn't even turn the key in the ignition; I called Matt on a whim and he explained he was with Elena when she found Ric. He drove from the hospital, to Bonnie's house and then back here again. Honestly, he was a saint.

"No problem. Now let's get you guys home before you drop." Matt leads us down the hallway.

"I talked to Bon earlier Lexx; she and her Mom are doing fine. Damon took her home and then I called and asked Care to stay with her." Elena voices. I forget that Damon wasn't invited in.

"How has Care been? She hasn't said anything about her Dad." I voice.

"She didn't say anything about Mr. Forbes; she was too concerned about Bonnie."

"I talked to her the other day when she worked your shift at the Grill; she's holding it together, considering how close she and her Dad used to be, considering how he hates what she is," Matt states. It seems like no one was winning tonight. "Any word on who's behind these attacks?"

"No, Sheriff Forbes said there's no real suspect." Elena responds. We finally make our way out to the parking lot.

"How are you dealing with everything? I mean, you keep getting dragged into all of this." Elena asks Matt. Hmm, I wonder how Matt feels.

"Honestly... I'm kind of lucky; the only thing that I have to worry about for tomorrow is showing up for my shift at the Grill."

"Nice to know you haven't lost your sense of humor, Matty." I laugh.

"Thank you, for everything. Really." Elena thanks Matt.

"Get home safe." Once we get to Matt's truck, he starts the engine and pulls out of his parking spot. Matt stops us at her car.

"Text me when you get home, Elle."

"I will." Once we see Elena get in, we pull off. Elena has just pulled out of her parking spot, when she feels her car hit something. She gets out and checks what she's hit, but nothing's there. Suddenly, Rebekah appears.

"Drive much?" Rebekah asks sardonically.

"Rebekah." She grabs her by the neck and pushes her against her car.

"Surprised?" She asks.

"I'm sorry, Rebekah, but I couldn't risk you changing your mind. I've seen Stefan and Damon fight each other, but at the end of the day, they're family and protect one another, the same way I do mine. "

"You drove a dagger through my back, Elena. It _hurt._ " She hisses. She thought Elena was being kind to her because she liked her , believed her when she said she wanted Klaus dead, and she'd placed faith in her only to have it returned with a sharp blade piercing through her new dress and rendering her dead just in time for her first high school dance.

"I know and I'm sorry, so do you're worst."

"Excuse me?" Rebekah is stunned by her comment.

"I betrayed your trust, I was only concerned about myself and my family and I used you to get the truth. I'm so sorry." She says regretfully.

Was this girl so inherently good that she would offer herself up to make-up for her wrong doing? Rebekah wanted to believe her, but she'd sent centuries being naive and the last time she trusted Elena, she put a dagger in her back. But, she could understand why Elena felt she needed to be out of the way. She would forgive Elena in due time, but Elena owed her a dance. Before Rebekah can scare Elena, Elijah appears pushing her against Elena's door.

"Elijah." Rebekah says unfazed at his sudden appearance.

"Leave," Rebekah steps forward. "Are you challenging me?"

"I wasn't gonna hurt her." She laughs, speeding off.

"Well...I believe we have a little catching up to do." Elijah states.

* * *

"It was their Mother, Esther, who was sealed in the coffin." Elena explains as she puts the bleach back under the sink. It was safe to assume she'd cleaned Uncle Ric's blood up. Matt said it looked like a crime scene, but I couldn't tell. _I don't if it's the fumes or the overload of information that's causing this headache._

"That explains how I woke up the floor. I don't remember her touching me, so she must've used a spell." Bonnie voices from the phone. She would've been at Elena's house for this sudden meeting if she felt up for it, but she was still tired from whatever spell Esther had used.

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan asks.

"It never ends, does it?" Caroline sighs from the phone. Care had stayed with Bonnie last night and I decided to have Matty drop me off at Elle's since it was closer.

"What? How is she even alive? I thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago." Damon responds.

"Maybe he never killed her. Esther might've put the hybrid curse on him, but she's still his Mom." I say. _Damn. Niklaus had some serious Mommy issues._

"If he did rip her heart out, maybe she had a couple connections in the Witching community. Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus." Elena replies.

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus." Stefan states.

"Well, not anymore, at least not according to Elijah."

"That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds." Stefan vents.

"Yeah. What's stopping Klaus from daggering Elijah when things don't start going his way?" Caroline asks.

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" Damon asks us.

"I do. I got knocked out." Bonnie says and I can hear her pouting. Damon laughs. Elena and I swap amused looks. Had something happened when Damon took Bonnie home last night?

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us," Elena says as the doorbell rings. "I believe him." Elena goes to open the door.

"What is it?" Stefan asks.

"It's an invitation."

"What does it say, Elena?" Bonnie asks.

"'Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration'." Elena finishes.

"Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?" Stefan asks us out loud.

"Did they move here while I was gone, Care?" I ask.

"I've never heard of them."

"It's the Original Family." Elena replies.

"It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?" Damon question while folding his arms.

"They can have Esther's coffin." Bonnie answers back. Damon snickers.

"Wait, there's a note on the back. 'Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet, Esther'." Elena reads.

"Wait, Bon, did you get one?" I ask curiously.

"Nothing's here."

"You did almost kill him at the sacrifice. If anything happens, the last thing he wants is a Bennett witch there, Bonbon." Damon states. I think that was compliment; what happened between them the night he brought her home?

"Care, do you think you have one?" I question, staring at Damon in slight shock.

"I don't know, but I'll go check. Come on, Bon. We'll call you when we get there." Caroline ends the call.

"If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why."

"Well that's a dumb idea, she already tried to kill you once." Damon voices. Almost forget she tried to use ghost Vicki to kill Elle.

"No, Elena is right. Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there is more to this than just some family reunion." Stefan rebuffs. _I can see Damon is gonna think the opposite, but I'll keep quiet and watch how this plays out._

"Can we go back in time where the old Stefan cared if Elena lived or died?" Damon questions.

"Esther wants something. Why go through all the trouble of putting a message on the back?" It wasn't lost on me that Stefan hadn't responded to the question, any other time he would have. Seemed like I was missing the pieces to finish this puzzle.

"Stefan has a point, Damon. I should find out what she wants."

"Elena," Her head snaps up at the sudden use of her full name. "If this is a trap, the only thing Jeremy is gonna have left to come home to is Alaric." Her shoulders sag. She knows I'm right.

"I'll take that as you're not going. You can't protect yourself anyways." Damon responds.

"Okay fine, then I'll go." Stefan responds. I throw a look at Elena, but she's gazing at Stefan, yes gazing. Somebody needs to catch me up, like now!

"You've pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime. I'll go," Damon snatches the invitation out of Elena's hand. "End of story." Damon leaves with Stefan following behind. Elena's cell phone rings, breaking the tense silence.

"Was anything there?" Elena asks.

"No, but Tyler left me a voicemail!" She squeals.

"You're gonna tell anybody that listens, aren't you?" Bonnie asks laughing.

"Care, did you run every stop sign you saw or something?" There was no way she'd got home that fast.

"Maybe." She admits sheepishly. _Good thing her Mom was the Sherriff._

"What did Tyler say?" I question excitedly.

"Is he doing okay?" Elena asks concerned.

"He didn't say, just that he was sorry he ran and was sorry he hurt my Dad. He's out breaking the sire bond and then he said he'd come home to me; it's like something out of a book." Care sighs.

"No surprise, Care; he's determined to make it home." I state. Maybe Stefan was too. Just then a knock comes from the door.

"Was someone supposed to be coming by?" Bonnie asks Care.

"No," Caroline opens it and finds an invitation to the ball and a box. "Seriously?" Care scoffs.

"What is it?" Elena asks.

"An invitation…and a box."

"That's new; Elle didn't have a box."

"You know you wanna open it, Caroline." Bonnie says. Caroline opens the box and sees a beautiful blue dress with a bracelet. She places the lid back on the box.

"We're waiting with baited breathe here, Carebear." I was anxious to find out what it was.

"We're meeting at the Grill to talk about this." She announces.

* * *

"Rebekah, tell me how handsome I am." Kol commands lightly as he stares at himself in the mirror.

"Oh Kol, you know I can't be compelled." Rebekah retorts, turning her attention back to her freshly painted nails. Finn grins at her comment as Klaus storms in through the door.

"You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?" He demands heatedly.

"Here we go." Rebekah says dully.

"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" He could do it.

"Again with the dagger threats, don't you have any other tricks?" Kol remarks. It got old after the the tenth time.

"Oh, go back to staring at yourself." Klaus shoots back.

"And who are you, my Father?" Last he heard, the old man was dead.

"No, Kol, but you're in my house." Kol gets up from the sofa and steps to Klaus.

"Then perhaps we should go outside." He needed something to shake the rust of his bones after being daggered for a hundred years and it only seemed right that Klaus be the one to help him do it. They stare each other down before Esther breaks it up.

"Enough!" Esther commands lightly. "Niklaus...come." Klaus glowers at Kol as he follows her into another room. Kol smiles back.

"Rebekah wasn't even out of her box a full two days before she tried to ruin my life. What happened to peace, acceptance, family?" He couldn't have order if Rebekah was set on killing the only thing he had to create his hybrids.

"You put daggers in their hearts," She saw he never hesitated to plunge the daggers into his siblings. "You want them to go down on their knees and kiss your feet for reuniting them?"

"So it's a crime to want our family to be as we were?" He only daggered them when they were causing too much chaos like Kol or when he felt betrayed like with Rebekah. And Finn was so damn judgmental it was just better if he wasn't around.

"It's arrogant to rush their forgiveness when you've wronged them, Niklaus."

"I..." He couldn't formulate a response.

"You need to give it time, Niklaus," He was immortal after all. "I've had a thousand years on the other side to be angry and to heal. I'm here to make sure this family does the same."

"I just don't understand," He'd killed her and here she was ready to leave it in the past. "I killed you, and still you forgive me." Esther moves a step closer to Klaus.

"It's been my dream for a thousand years that this family could be as one. Forgiveness is not a chore; it's a gift," Klaus quirks his mouth up slightly and gives a meager nod. "Now, who are you bringing to the ball this evening?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're lucky I'm even going." Klaus sighs. But there was one brown eyed girl in particular he hoped would be there.

"Well, I wish you would reconsider. It is going to be a magical evening."

* * *

"It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball. Like an _actual_ ball." Elena states, weirded out.

"Yeah, it's their weird coming out party." Bonnie agrees.

"I guess it is in a way; Niklaus had them daggered for a while." Uncle Ric was lucky he was in the hospital far away from all of this.

"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is." Care voices.

"And you're starring as Cinderella, Care." I say referring to the blue dress. All that's missing are the glass slippers.

"Why does the Evil Witch want an audience with you?" Care asks Elena, not responding to my comment.

"I have no idea. There's only one way to find out." Bonnie and Caroline trade confused looks.

"I thought you told Stefan and Damon you weren't going; you said Lexx talked you out of it." Bonnie expresses confused.

"She did, but then I remembered she only uses my full name if she's mad at me or wants me to go along with a plan. I'll need a drama free bodyguard if I plan on finding out what Esther wants." Elena says hinting at Care.

"I'll go, but I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux. And by that I mean Stefan." Care was _always_ Team Stefan.

"Uhh, I can't deal with either of the Salvatores right now. Whatever Stefan is feeling, he's channeling it all against Klaus…most of it anyways. And Damon is an absolute no."

"Most?" I ask curiously. Yeah, I'd definitely missed something.

"Happen to have anything to do with you two making out?" Care asks.

"Bonnie!" Elena shouts. Bonnie winces.

"I'm sorry, it slipped out."

"You and Stefan kissed? When?" I was probably grinning like crazy.

"I was gonna tell you guys, but after everything that happened with your Dad, Care and Ric getting hurt..."

Caroline could understand how that was more important. "That's a good reason, you're excused. But why did you kiss him?"

"He kissed me actually," She runs her fingers across her lips. "It was the night I drove home with him after we found Abby. He apologized for taking me on Wickery Bridge and he told me to say something and I told him it was hard to say anything since he was showing me the Stefan I fell in love with." Elena says giving us a play by play.

"You have me to thank for suggesting you ride back with, Stefan; I'm such a good wing woman!" I was mentally patting myself on the back. Caroline, Bonnie and Elena laugh.

"Then what happened Elena?" Bonnie asks anxiously.

"He told me he'd overheard me and Lexx talking about how I didn't kiss Damon back and I was so embarrassed I bolted from the car," She shakes her head at the memory. "He followed me and I told him I was thinking about him when Damon kissed me and then he was kissing me." She sighs softly.

"And what about Damon?" I ask timidly. Damon had told me stories about when he was human; he always let his emotions rule him when he was upset and they had only heightened since he'd become a vampire.

"He was surprisingly understanding." Wonder if that conversation we had a while back helped. A blonde girl walks up to our table suddenly.

"Careful, Caroline. It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back." _Ah, so this was Rebekah._

"We don't have to worry about whether she'd change her mind to help kill a psychopath who daggers her at the drop of hat when things aren't going his way 'cause he's her brother." I voice.

"And who might you be?" Rebekah asks curiously turning her gaze on me.

"Alexandra." I respond dryly.

"Charmed, I'm sure." I laugh shortly.

"And I'm sure you've been alive long enough not to assume things." I reply eating my French fries. _She was ruining my Stelena high._

"What are you doing here? I know your Mom's rules; No hurting the locals." Elena states tensely.

"Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you." Rebekah walks away and gives Matt an invitation to the ball. _Why was she handing Matty an invite?_

"Oh my god." Bonnie breathes.

"She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him?" Caroline demands.

"Probably to get this reaction from us." Comes Elena's answer.

"What time is this stupid dance?" Caroline scoffs as Rebekah walks past us. _I'm gonna run her over with my car_.

"I don't know, but, I'm gonna go talk to Matt about that invite." Getting up from my seat, I walk over to a table where Matt is putting dishes into a bin.

"Hey, Lexx. You need something?"

"Yes, an answer; why in the hell would you go with Rebekah to the ball?"

"To keep an eye on you four; I guess it's safe to assume you got invitations. If something goes down, I can call Stefan and Damon, who I assume aren't coming. What harm could it do to have another set of eyes?" _I hate when he's right._

"You're gonna go anyways aren't you?"

"Yep." He smiles.

"Are you at least on vervain?"

"Of course. "

"Then I'll see you at seven. Just be careful, Matty. Please." I beg.

"I will." I walk back to the table as everyone is getting up.

"I heard what he said, I already filled everyone in." Care responds before standing up and pushing her chair in.

"Where are we going?" I ask following them outside.

"Shopping," Care says getting into her car. "I refuse to wear that bribe Klaus bought and besides, we still have to find something for you guys to wear. Elena, you're riding with me so you can catch me up all things Stefan related." She starts the engine and waits for Bonnie and me to get in Elena's car.

"Bon and I weren't invited, Care."

"I'm sure I read 'Plus 1' on your invitation." She smirks. I got an invitation? Bonnie chooses this moment to interrupt.

"That reminds me," Bonnie says sliding into the driver seat. She reaches in her purse to hand me the invitation with my name on it. "I didn't want Stefan and Damon freaking out." She explains at my lost expression. Reading the card, I find nothing that stands out.

"Starts at seven, Mikaelsons are throwing it, there's gonna be food, nothing different than Elle's."

"Did something happen at the dinner the other night?" She turns over the engine and follows Care's car.

"Like you wouldn't believe, Bon."

* * *

"Hello, Carol." Damon hands her a glass of champagne.

"Hello." They clink their glasses together.

"Hanging out with your new besties?" He keeps a watchful eye on the people in the room. Carol rolls her eyes.

"I'm the Mayor, Damon. When the oldest, deadliest, family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile." Carol didn't have the benefit of being a vampire and neither did the rest of the town.

"Hmm, well at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from." Damon smirks.

"I've known some of these people since high school, others all my life; they don't know vampires exist and they shouldn't have to be on the offensive because they have sugar in their cupboards," She was trying to protect this town and Tyler safe. He had already been turned into a hybrid on her watch. "They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it."

"Mayor Lockwood. We haven't formally met; Kol Mikaelson," He kisses her hand. "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

"As long has that means the human population stays human and the number of people living here stays the same." Kol quirks his eyebrow in amusement.

"My Mother has a strict set of rules she intends for us to follow." Kol assures. Damon decides to introduce himself.

"Damon Salvatore," He holds out his hand. "Have we met?"

"I've met a lot of people," He glances quickly at Carol before looking back at Damon. "And you don't particularly stand out." Kol replies walking away.

"He's sweet as a toothache." Damon voices.

* * *

"Okay, so, Elena and Bon will go in the front and we'll be behind them." Caroline states.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this." I stop walking.

"Lexx, it's not like you to back down." Elena voices.

"Yeah," She thought everything through and even when she was scared, she still went through with a plan. "What's going on with you?" Bonnie asks.

"It's just…first it was Elijah, then it was Niklaus and his hybrids, suddenly that turned into Elijah and Niklaus, now it's the whole damn Original family throwing a welcome back party."My shoulders sag under the weight of the threat that the Original family could inflict on Mystic Falls.

"I'm scared too, Lexx, but I really do think we can trust, Elijah." Elena puts her hand on my shoulder.

"And if all else fails, we got a badass Bennett witch to help even the score." Bonnie says, causing us all to laugh.

"I feel better now." Looping my arms through Caroline's, we make our way up the cobblestone path.

"Here's goes nothing." Care says as we wait for the door to open.

* * *

Long chapter deserves some loving, wouldn't you agree?


	10. Chapter 10

Musical inspiration this chapter: A Postcard to Henry Purcell - Jean Yves-Thibaudet

I don't own Pride & Prejudice, Wally West, or Buffy Summers.

This chapter requires you know how to waltz.

* * *

Dangerous Liaisons Are Bound To Spark A Fire Part II

Once inside, we're met with a grand staircase adjourned with lights and a space big enough to fit everyone in Mystic Falls.

"They sure know how to throw a party." Bonnie says, taking in the scene.

"I definitely didn't see this two nights ago," That room was a shack compared to this. "This looks like the ballroom scene from _Pride & Prejudice_," Looking around, I spot several red dresses. "Aww, everybody's wearing red!" I voice, blowing the loose strand of hair out of my face. Care had picked out a red satin ballgown with off the shoulders straps and while it was pretty, it seemed everyone was wearing red.

"At least you're not one of the unsuspecting town folk who came here for shrimp instead of bringing a stake." Elena says, trying to make me feel better. It's appreciated.

"It makes your skin look amazing. Besides, at least no one's wearing champagne." Care had decided to get away from blue as far has possible on the color spectrum and chosen a champagne floor gown with a beaded top. _Yes, Care, paint this in a positive light for you._

"I see everyone thought blue would be a good color." Bonnie observes, looking down at her royal blue strapless dress. Honestly, Bon could've worn a sundress and still looked pretty.

"I don't have that problem." Elena smiles. Her dress was black with flower designs over it with a light brown dress skirt was under it.

"Uh, no," I say as I spot Stefan walking over to us. "But you do have a bigger one." _I thought Damon said he wasn't_ _coming._

"What are you doing here?" Elena thought he wouldn't be here.

"I could ask you the same thing. This was your plan I assume, Lexx." Stefan states as Damon walks to stand next to him.

"Surprise, surprise," Damon says, but he keeps his eyes on Bonnie. "Nice tux, Stefan. And here I was thinking you were on my side, Lexx. You're not supposed to be here, Elena."

"I am and I'm not leaving until I find out what Esther wants. So, shall we?" Elena asks. Stefan holds his arm out for Elena to take and in a move that surprises me, Damon goes next to Bonnie and copies Stefan's gesture. Elena and Caroline give each other surprised looks.

"I don't need you to escort me in, Damon."

"You're not supposed to be here, witch, so humor me." Bonnie huffs out a sigh before taking his arm begrudgingly.

"We'll escort ourselves in!" I yell, yanking Caroline along with me before Damon or Stefan can say anything else.

"Nice dodging skills, Lexx." Care says as we turn a corner.

"Why-" But then I see Niklaus. He's talking to a woman who's throwing her head back and laughing. "You think if she knew she was flirting with a guy who could break her neck with one of his pinkie fingers, she'd still be laughing?" Caroline studies the two before replying.

"Maybe she'd laugh harder." We burst out laughing at her answer.

"Caroline, you're horrible!" I hit her shoulder.

"And probably right." She laughs.

"What's so funny?" We hear Niklaus ask as he stands in front us. Niklaus had abandoned his company once he heard laughing and saw the source of it was coming from Alexandra. He hadn't expected her to come or look as ravishing has she did. She was truly a vision to behold and she was blinding him. My body stiffs at his sudden arrival. _I didn't think I'd be dealing with the host so soon._

"Just…a theory." I throw Caroline a knowing look and try to relax my posture.

"I see you're not wearing the dress I picked out, Caroline." Niklaus notices.

"I know I'm blonde, Klaus, but I'm not as materialistic has you think. I can't be bought," Caroline glares at him. "Are you gonna be okay?" I nod yes, despite wanting to leave. "I see Matt, I'm gonna go say 'hi'." Then I'm left alone with Niklaus.

"I thought the dress would be a nice gesture." He explains.

"It doesn't make-up for having her boyfriend bite her. On her _birthday._ "

"I didn't know it was her birthday." I tilt my head to the side in curiosity.

"So, any other day would've been fine, just not the first birthday she's had since she was a vampire?" He doesn't respond. "I don't how you dealt with girls back in your century, but here, we like our gestures to be meaningful, not materialistic." Picking up my dress, I go to find Bonnie and Elena.

* * *

"That was weird." Elena wasn't expecting Stefan to be here or him being somewhat nice to her. Maybe the kiss was causing his old self to resurface.

"You're telling me," Bonnie was still dazed from Damon's behavior. "And what was with Damon escorting me in?" She couldn't figure him out lately.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was worried about you. What happened when he brought you home two days ago?" Elena was intrigued as to know when their dynamic had changed and wanted answers. But she'd have to wait. Lexx comes running to the bar, stopping Bonnie from responding.

"There you guys are," Flagging the bartender down, I place an order. "Hi, can I get the strongest non-alcoholic thing you have?" Alcohol would be better, but I was sadly underage.

"Lexx, you look tense." Bonnie observes.

"I ran into Niklaus, but," I hold up a plate. "I found appetizers!"

"I see," She wipes crumbs off my face. "How's the rest of your night been?"

"Pretty good. And you Elena, how's your night been?" I ask coyly.

"Fine."

"So was the guy that escorted you in." Bonnie chimes. Just then, a voice calls Elena's name.

"Elena Gilbert, I presume? I'm Finn Mikaelson. You're here to see my Mother." He was hot in that weird stalker way.

"Is she here?" Bonnie looks around for the witch in question.

"Her request did not include your friends." Finn retorts, giving Bonnie and I a disapproving look. _Was he scolding us? Were we being scolded?_

"They're protecting me."

"You may not know this, but your Mother has already tried to kill her once." I shoot back.

"If you want to see my Mother, you'll need to be alone." Bonnie concentrates on Finn's windpipe, imagining it tightening. A few seconds later, Finn is having trouble breathing. He tries pulling his bowtie a loose, unraveling it, but he still can't catch his breath. _What the hell was going on with him?_

"Are you okay, Finn?" Elena asks with false concern. _Okay, still confused over here._

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." Elijah announces from the staircase. Bonnie loosens her grip on Finn.

"Excuse me." Finn says, rubbing his neck and looking at Bonnie warily.

"I think he meant be reconsidering now." Elena replies coyly. Bonnie answers with a smirk.

"I can't believe you just did that! I think Grams would be proud." I slap her arm. She shrugs her shoulders playfully.

"Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my Mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance." Elijah addresses to the crowd.

"Do you see who I see?" Damon asks Stefan as Esther appears on the staircase.

"Oh, yeah." Stefan replies.

"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old Waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, and please join us in the ballroom." Elijah finishes. Esther retreats silently back upstairs. Elena and Bonnie move to go upstairs, but Damon blocks their way.

"Don't even think about it." Damon speaks.

"She wants to see me, Damon." This was exactly why she didn't want him coming.

"I see Bonbon is going with you," He shoots her an aggravated look. She glares. "Was I not clear this morning?"

"She was invited." Bonnie shoots back.

"She has to tell me before she walks into the lion's den." Damon responds.

"You'd just stop her." Caroline voices once she comes up to them.

"Uhh, yes!"

"Damon, move." I plead lightly. He keeps staring at Bonnie with a aggravated expression on his face. She glowers back him.

"It would be rude not to dance, you know." Stefan voices, breaking the tense silence. Elena takes his hand.

"It is tradition." Elena replies with a slight smile. They walk out to the ballroom floor as Damon, Bonnie and I watch them.

"Wanna dance, Bonnie?" She was dressed for it after all and shouldn't spend her night watching everyone else enjoy themselves.

"Damon, I'll set you on fire in front of all these nice people."

"I think she'd do it, just ask Finn." I laugh.

"Care to dance?" I hear Niklaus ask from beside me. _I'd rather go to another one of your dinner parties._

"No," Bonnie answers for me.

"She wouldn't." Damon finishes. _Ooh, I like this team-up!_ Wait…was that Matt dancing with Rebekah? _Dammit, Matty, I said be safe!_

"Sure. I look way too pretty to waste the night eating crab puffs." I answer as I place my plate on a random table and from the look on his face, I see I've surprised him.

"Uh, Lexx, wanna explain?" Bonnie asks, looking at me with a confused look. I discreetly nod my head to the floor, pointing out Matt dancing with the She-Devil.

"I changed my mind, Damon. I wanna dance." Damon doesn't argue, just takes Bonnie's hand and leads her to the floor. _Ooh, look at me being an unintentional matchmaker!_

"I'll dance, but I want you to answer some of my questions." If I was gonna dance with him, the least I could do was get some information out of him. Niklaus waits a beat before answering.

"Always a condition with you. Fine," He tries to takes my hand, but I sidestep out of it and walk to the floor. This house was so big, it had a ballroom. Hell, it probably had a museum. I hear him let out a light laugh as he stands beside me while we wait for the music to play. "I'm glad you came." He says as he starts moving me to the sound of the music.

"I wanted to make sure my friends were okay." Keeping my gaze on Matt and Rebekah, I try not to lose my step in the Waltz.

"I heard about Alaric." I feel like I almost snap my neck with how fast I turn my attention from Matt to Niklaus.

"Niklaus, I'm not above leaving you mid-strand." Trying to ignore Niklaus, I watch Damon as he twirls Bonnie and spins her back to him. She laughs. _Don't mess this up, Damon._

"On to more mannered subjects then. You look beautiful in that dress." I give him a wary once over.

"This wasn't the dress you bought, Niklaus," Was this a new tactic he was trying out? "No need to give it compliments."

"The compliment was for you, not the dress. You know, you're quite the dancer." Alexandra was beginning to fall into a habit of surprising him. _I like it better when he's threatening me._

"Small town," I brush off his compliment and keep with the Waltz. "Every other event we throw involves some kind of dancing."

"I could imagine having a friend who currently holds the title of Miss Mystic Falls is beneficial." I chance a look at Caroline to see her dancing with our classmate Jesse. She looked like she was flowing with the way she danced. She hadn't earned the title for nothing. I smile proudly at her.

"While, when one signs up to be friends with Caroline Forbes, you better be prepared to hold a candle to her." He smiles.

"You don't say?" I feel his grip tighten on my hand and somehow without me noticing, his left hand had made its way to my lower back. _I felt like I was in danger._ Niklaus spins me has the rest of the room changes dance partners; I end up with with Jesse.

"When Lexx said 'stay safe', she didn't mean go dance with the She-Devil, Matt." Caroline scolds him.

"What was I supposed to say, 'no'? And if she's mad about Rebekah, then I can be pissed about Klaus. Why the hell is she here with him anyways?" She may have been gone the last year, but he knew she was caught up enough to know not to waltz with the bad guy.

"I don't know," She shakes her head. "But I do know Rebekah attacked Elena outside the hospital after you guys left." She replies as he spins her.

"Elena didn't tell me," He didn't like being a chess piece in her game. "So, why'd she invite me then?"

"You'd have to ask her Matt," Looking around, she doesn't see Lexx. "Do you see Lexx anywhere?"

"No," He does a quick sweep for the brunette. "But I don't see Klaus either." This was bound to end well.

* * *

"Hmm. He dances, and I didn't even have to beg." Elena quips.

"Well, Mayor Lockwood dragged me out here. Couldn't exactly say no," Elena looks at him curiously before smiling lightly. He sounded like his old self. Stefan finds himself smiling down at Elena, but quickly snaps himself out of it. "Took you all of thirty seconds to put Damon in a mood." Stefan says as they continue to waltz.

"He's just looking out for me, Stefan." She didn't want him thinking there was anything romantic behind Damon's actions. Elena was was starting to think he only wanted her as a placeholder for Katherine and with the way he hadn't changed partners when the rest of the room did, she was thinking Bonnie might be the one he had feelings for.

"I think he needs to figure out that you can look out for yourself." Elena eyes him slightly in shock, but takes the moment to see if she can convince him to help.

"I need to talk to you." She leans in close to his ear.

"Okay," He pulls her closer. "So talk."

"Not here." She reaches to take his hand and he lets her. Damon is so busy dancing with Bonnie, he doesn't notice.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were having fun with me, Bennett." Damon widens his yes jokingly as he glides her around the room.

"Careful, Damon," She warns. "I might start to think you actually care if I'm having a good time or not." Bonnie raises her eyebrow.

"We wouldn't want that," He chuckles as he remembers they were dancing then too when they were having that conversation. "You look beautiful, Bonnie." And he wasn't lying; it wasn't often when he got to see her in dress, but when he did, she always looked pretty. Bonnie is taken off guard by his compliment.

"Thanks, Damon." She tries to take a deep breath to steady herself. She replies quietly.

"I'm serious in case you think I'm joking. " Bonnie could deal with Damon taking jabs at her, but compliments were new territory for her. She nods her head as he applies slight pressure to her hands, solidifying his statement.

The room changes partners again, but Damon keeps his hold on Bonnie. There was no telling when was the next time he would have a chance to have her this close to him and he was going to enjoy it as long has he possibly could.

* * *

Once they're outside Elena starts talking to Stefan.

"If Esther is secretly on our side, we need to know and I can't get to her with two bodyguards."

"Why are you telling me this?" Stefan asks causally.

"Because Damon won't let me anywhere near her without protection; I guess he doesn't think Bonnie is strong enough. And besides, you care about killing Klaus more than you care about anything. So-" She pauses as a look of understanding crosses Stefan's face. "What, am I wrong?" She can't help but hope his answer is yes.

"No," He answers, disappointing Elena and himself. "You're not wrong. What do you need me to do?"

"Make sure that I can get into that room with Esther."

"You sure you can do this?" It wasn't that he wasn't sure, he just didn't want her to risk her safety. Elena inhales a deep breathe and nods her head. Stefan mimics her action.

"I can do this," She walks pass him then turns to face after she's put space between them. "When we were together, you used to let me make my own decisions, you trusted me. After all this, at least that hasn't changed." She walks back towards the house.

"Hold it together just a few more hours, Stefan." He sighs. Tonight was bring back too many memories and he was so close to open the floodgates and being pulled under by the water.

* * *

"Got your text," Damon says once he enters the room and sees Elena. "What are we doing in here?" He wanted to get back to Bonnie as quickly has possible while she was still in a good mood. His answer is Stefan coming out of nowhere and breaking his back and snapping his neck. He'd enjoyed it more than he should have; he was still pissed he'd kissed Elena.

"Better hurry up, he won't be down for long." Elena passes by Stefan, but turns around. She starts to say thank you, but Stefan just nods his head. She leaves the room and is immediately met with Elijah.

"I understand my Mother requested to see you."

"Uh, yeah, she did." Where had he come from?

"Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little…strange to say the least."

"Do you think that it's an act?" Elena asks unsure.

"It has me asking questions I never thought I'd ask. Can I depend on you to tell me what she says?" Elijah questions Elena.

"Of course. I'll find you later, okay?" Elijah nods, leaving Elena. She walks down the hallway 'til she sees Bonnie.

"Whatever your plan was, did it work?" Bonnie asks once she sees Elena.

"It did. You ready to go to the lion's den?"

"Yeah. Let's go see my friend, Finn." Bonnie says coyly.

* * *

Finn is sharpening a knife while Esther is burning some sage, when there's a knock on the door.

"That could be the girl." Esther speaks. Putting the knife down, Finn goes to opening the door, revealing Elena and Bonnie.

"You're not alone. Not surprising."

"Did you need me to help you with your tie again, Finn?" Bonnie smirks. Elena looks warily around the room as she sees Esther burning something. "It's just sage, Elena."

"I've spelled it so we can speak freely without fear of being overheard. That will be all Finn, thank you" She says. He leaves and closes the door. "You both must have a million questions for me. Please, sit." Gesturing towards the sofa, Bonnie, Elena, and Esther sit.

"How are you alive?" Bonnie asks her first.

"Are you a ghost? Or..." Elena finishes.

"Not exactly; when I died, the Witch Ayana preserved my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine, an ancestor of yours, Bonnie."

"Seems like us Bennett witches are always involved with vampires." Bonnie grimaces.

"That explains why only you and your Mother could open up the casket, Bon."

"You complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from you and your ancestors who were with me on the other side."

"You've been on the other side for a thousand years?" Bonnie asks shocked.

"Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires, but there is a way for me to undo the evil I created."

"You're gonna help us kill Klaus, aren't you?" Elena asks surprised.

"One thing at a time, Elena. For now, I simply need your help."


	11. Chapter 11

Musical inspiration this chapter: Forbidden Lullaby - Gothic Music

Hang on to your crab puffs.

* * *

Dangerous Liaisons Are Bound To Spark A Fire Part III

Outside, Caroline is admiring the horses when Klaus approaches her.

"You like horses?"

"I'm not talking to you until you tell me why you invited me here." One second he's ordering Tyler to bite her and the next, he's sending her a dress, which was beyond beautiful, but didn't makeup for her boyfriend not being here.

"I just wanted to formerly apologize to you about, Tyler."She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, because of you and your freaky sire bond with him, he didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

"It wasn't my intention to spoil your birthday." So that made up for it?

"Right, so any other day of the week would have worked better for you? You backed Tyler into a corner and he isn't even here right now because you!" One voicemail every blue moon, was not cutting it for her.

"I thought you two ended things." He could admit that when Stefan came and lobbed of Mindy's head off to, he was pissed and needed to find a way to show Stefan he was not to be messed with. He'd been steadfast and pleased with himself until he found out from Lexx that he'd ruined Caroline's birthday. The the only highlight to his evening had been being sure that Tyler and Caroline were no longer an item.

"Tyler decided I'm worth fighting for and I would never give up on him." She goes back to staring at the horses.

"You know, horses are the opposite of people; they're loyal. My father hunted me for a thousand years and the closest he ever came was the day he killed my favorite horse. He severed its neck with a sword as a warning." Niklaus finishes in an attempt to break the silence. He liked horses? They seemed too nice and gentle for him.

"You try talking to him?" Caroline finds herself asking.

"Talking wasn't the message he was trying to convey." She turns to face him.

"Look, I'm sorry about your Daddy issues, but that doesn't excuse your actions and to answer your question, yes, I like horses, but I also like people and they actually like me, so I'll be inside." Care says, leaving Klaus. Once she's back inside, she sees Lexx rushing towards her down the hallway.

"Hey, are you okay? Is something wrong with Bonnie and Elena?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't see you back in the house."

"I didn't see you either, that's why I went looking for you. Besides, seeing a bunch of couples dancing and flirting with their boyfriends reminded me of Tyler." _Aww, Care._ Grabbing Caroline, I pull her into a hug. Once she pulls away, I put my hand on her arm.

"Carebear, I'm sorry. I didn't know," Of course she was thinking about Tyler. "Look, you can head home, call him, check to make sure he and Bill are okay. I don't think they're gonna try anything with this many people around; it would break Esther's rule and you look a little spooked."

"I just talked to Klaus." She explains. I feel my face scrunch up in confusion.

"About what?"

"He apologized about Tyler biting me and tried to blame it on his Daddy issues," It made him seem more...human. "Get this, his Dad killed his horse just to send him a message." _That was so_ _me Mafia type shit._

"Finding out stuff about him, especially this kind of stuff, makes him less of the proverbial boogeyman and more like the kid scared of the dark who becomes the boogeyman so he isn't afraid anymore." This was a first for Lexx standing in Klaus' corner. Caroline slowly nods her head while searching my face before letting out a sigh.

"Are you sure it's okay if I leave, Lexx?" There wasn't a guarantee Tyler would answer, but still.

"Yeah. And if all else fails, I didn't come here unprepared." I lift my dress to show the knife strap with mini stakes and knifes coated with vervain.

"You wanted the ballgown because of the skirt. Smart move, slayer." _I'll let you have that one, Care._

"How original of you. When you talk to Tyler, tell him I miss him okay?"

"I will. Keep a lookout in case anything happens." I nod my head.

I watch as Care walks down the hallway and disappears around a corner. I could use this has a chance to see if I could find something useful; I was still trying to figure out what was up with Niklaus. Going the opposite way, I find myself walking down the corridor before I see a staircase. Yeah I would definitely find something up there. Once up stairs, I'm met with a series of doors. Not wasting time, I randomly pick one and go in. This might've been the museum I joked about, if the pictures lining the wall were anything to go off on.

"Alexandra." Turning around, I see Niklaus. Guess I had to put off my snooping? I wanted to be annoyed, but this was his house after all.

"I'm sorry," Shouldn't he be entertaining his guests? "I didn't mean to barge in; your house is a maze and I was looking for the bathroom." A lie and completely believable with the size of it.

"It's fine," She had interrupted his pity party. "I expected you to find me after my run in with Caroline."

"I noticed she wasn't in the ballroom so I came looking for her, not that she needs anyone's help," Care could take care of herself, even more so after she became a vampire. "Safe to assume she tore into you like a untapped vein?" He laughs at my wording.

"That she did," He looks at me. "I'm surprised you came."

"If you didn't think I would come, why did you want me here, Niklaus?" I ask tiredly. He takes a few seconds before answering.

"My Mother insisted I bring someone." I know I've heard him wrong. Even if what he said was true, why was I an option? I repeat the question.

"Let me try this again, why did you want me here?" He looks down and chuckles.

"I wanted you here with me, Alexandra." Yeah, no, that didn't even sound right.

"Jesus," I exhale a shaky breath. "You're kind of a masochist, aren't you?" Who invites the girl whose been trying to kill you as their date? I felt like the all the oxygen wasn't getting to my lungs. _Like I didn't have enough trouble breathing on my own without Klaus causing problems._

"Is that so hard to believe?" Was this actually happening? Why couldn't he go after Caroline; she was blonde and bubbly…and had a boyfriend. _Aww, dammit._

"Yes!" But it's comes out as a whisper. "Did you forget that you came here with the purpose of killing one of my best friends? Better question would be why did you expect a different answer?" He couldn't just drop this on me like it was a normal thing. He laughs.

"Why are you so shocked?" He truly was curious as to why it was a shock to her. It seemed if she were in the room, his eyes followed instinctively and he quite liked the rapport they had fallen into. "You've made some statements that only a handful of people have gotten away with it and it's usually because they're family. Why else do you think I didn't resort to other extremes?"

"Because everything I've said has been right and I made sure the delivery wouldn't be met with you sending another extreme to the front door," I voice back. "I wanted you out of Mystic Falls or dead. Those have been your two options, Niklaus," I felt light-headed. "I've never said anything that remotely borders civil to you because you're either trying to kill someone I care about or hurting someone to get what you want. So, please, explain to me how all of that adds up to you…" I couldn't even finish the sentence.

"You apologized for bumping into me the first time we met," He points out. It takes everything in me not to stomp my foot like the three year old I would look like if I did.

"I didn't know who you were!" That was weak and he knew it.

"You're not scared to be frank with me, you're beautiful, and you're compassionate. I find myself looking forward to your company." _The crab puffs were gonna make an appearance if he kept talking like this_ _._ I shift my eyes quickly to the left and the right in disbelief.

"You mean, when I'm making sarcastic comments and plans to kill you?" I ask unconvinced. That wasn't anything to get a crush over. "And what could you possibly know about me being 'compassionate', Niklaus?" I mock.

"The dinner the other night," He didn't think someone who didn't share the same last name as him could care about his well being. "You cried for me." I exhale a snicker.

"All I did was shed a few tears." He jerks his head in disagreement.

"It was more than that," She didn't have anything to gain by doing so, her reaction had been genuine and unexpected and it left Klaus slightly startled. "I realized then, that it wasn't only limited to your friends, that if you could show even the likes of me compassion, then there was more to you that I wanted to discover." I still wasn't processing any of this.

"I thought it was the right response after what I was told. Anybody would've felt the same way," Maybe if I tried rationalizing this, I could talk him out of this...thing he had. "Besides, maybe if you didn't feel the need to throw your weight around and scare people shitless, you'd be shown more compassion than _contempt_." I guarantee this is a hell of a lot more exciting than that meeting Bonnie and Elena were having. Niklaus attempts to break the silence that's come over us.

"Not a luxury I could afford while on the run."

"It never bothers you that people do things for you because they're motivated by fear...not love?" His eyes take on a distant look.

"I found myself not caring as long has what I needed got done."

"Klaus, someone being terrified of you could be the reason why they would give you up to Mikael, but if they loved you, they would die to keep you safe." A scoff passes between his lips.

"No one's dying for me." _Stop scaring people_ _._

"Did you ever try talking to Mikael?" They probably had more in common than he cared to admit. Klaus laughs bitterly.

"I'm afraid my relationship with my Father was a bit more complex than to be solved with a simple conversation."

"I could believe that after the whole…beheading your horse thing," I scuff the bottom of my heel on the ground. "Well, you killed him, so it's not like you have to worry about him anymore. For what it's worth, I'm glad you didn't kill your Mom."

"Why is that?" His gaze turns curious.

"It gives you a chance to ask her anything you want to know about why she did what she did." He had unresolved issues that he could sort out now. Maybe he would stop trying to kill everyone and make Elena his blood donor now that he had his Mom back to the fill void she left.

"She did what she did because she loved her husband more than her own child," He didn't wish to relive the past, especially if he already knew the reasoning. "You know she made a necklace designed for the purpose of weakening my werewolf gene just so she could hide her dalliance?" He had thought she was showing him motherly affection, but it was all a ploy to cover up her indiscretion.

"I don't deny that she's a piece of work, but she could've killed you, no problem, but she chose not to," I still didn't like his Mom; no real Mother does that to her child. "But maybe without Mikael around, she can be who you wished she had." I offer up. Klaus wondered how Alexandra couldn't fathom why he would like her; here she was again, with nothing to gain, trying to reassure of something that held no importance to her. Looking back at the door, I wonder how Bonnie and Elena are doing.

"I think I'm gonna go back." Maybe if I tried hard enough, I could channel my inner Wally West and get away from here as quickly has possible.

"Alexandra," Klaus calls out, stopping me. "What I said. I meant it." My brain had finally had time to process what he'd told me and I had a reply for him.

"You know, you didn't seem all that surprised when I showed up in Mystic Falls, Niklaus." I angle my body towards his. He gives me a curious once over.

"I've had my hybrids keeping an eye on each one of you, but why did you, Alexandra?"

"I came back to help them kill you. They were scared you'd go after me to get back at them," His jaw tenses slightly at my bold statement. "Your words don't mean too much when you have a habit of hurting the people I care about." Closing the door, I leave Niklaus. Seemed like I was always leaving him with a speech.

* * *

"I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family, how I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."

"She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves." Elena replies.

"It's true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse," She should have known better than to go against nature; it pushed back when upset. "Eventually, Niklaus turned against me."

"Sounds like Klaus." Bonnie wasn't surprised by that information.

"How are you gonna kill him?" Mikael had taken the only thing that could kill him as the flames consumed his body. "He's immortal."

"It will take time, magic, and your assistance."

"Does it involve me dying in a trapped car?" Elena hadn't forgotten she had locked her in a car with a fire burning.

"I am only sorry I thought your death was needed to stop Niklaus. My children believe I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion, but in truth, I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger," Bonnie moves to stand in front of Elena. "Only a drop," She clarifies. "Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening. Will you do it or shall I?" Elena was put off by her dismissal but she wanted Klaus gone. She removes her glove and gives her hand to Esther. "Elijah is more suspicious than the others, so he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink at the toast in order to be linked as one."

"What do you mean 'linked as one'?"

"You said it yourself, Elena. Klaus is immortal. This would link all of the Originals together." Bonnie explains.

"Correct, Bonnie. The spell links all my children together, so that if one goes, they all go."

"Wait, what?" Elena could believe Esther wanting to Klaus, but all of them, her whole family?

"I love my family Elena, but they are an abomination. I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them."

"And you're okay with this?" Bonnie turns to Finn. He had been silent the whole conversation, even after Esther admitted to wanting to kill all of his siblings.

"I've lived long past than what nature intended."

* * *

"There you are." Kol voices as he comes to stand beside Rebekah.

"You know I don't like shopping with, Care," I never wanted to see sequins or chiffon again. "You think it's funny 'cause you've never been dress shopping with her!" I slap his shoulder.

"And I plan to keep it that way, Lexx." Matt keeps laughing.

"Where's your date?" Kol asks.

"It took all three of us to to fit Elena's dress into the front seat of Care's car!" He snorts.

"Flirting with his ex at the moment." She watches as Matt grins and laughs at whatever Lexx is telling him. Or was it just Elena and Caroline he had dated? He could hear the jealously draped in her words.

"Don't tell me you like this boy," He was a human. He could snap his neck before he had time to open his mouth to tell him to stop. "What did he do? Give you five seconds of his attention?" He guesses.

"You don't have to be rude about it." She says briskly.

"If we get to the dessert table and there aren't anymore strawberry tarts, I will fight you, Matty. Don't think I didn't see you handing them out." Matt sighs.

"Go easy on me, Lexx." He jokes.

"You've changed, Bekah. You know, settling for a mortal is the first sign of weakness," He mocks. "Don't be so predictable."

"I'm not settling. Just leave him be, okay?" Rebekah walks away from him.

"As you wish, sister." He says once she's out of hearing distance, but his eyes hold a dangerous glint in them.

* * *

"Easy, buddy," Stefan says as Damon wakes up grunting. "Don't want you doing anything stupid."

"Where's Bonnie? Where's Elena?" Damon pushes Stefan against a bookshelf. Stefan notices that he puts Bonnie's name first, not Elena's.

"Exactly where they should be, talking with Esther." He answers back coolly.

"What did you do?" He pushes him harder into the bookshelf. What the hell was the witch thinking!

"Ah, don't blame me. This was all Elena," He pushes Damon off of him. "Right down to the broken neck. You know they need to find out what Esther wants. We can't afford to be blindsided by anything else and you being a controlling dick wasn't helping anyone."

"Wait, hang on _. I'm_ the problem here?" He asks in disbelief. He wasn't the one trying to rip peoples' head off their shoulders like it was a detectable kids' toy.

"You're a liability, brother."

"I'm trying to keep Bonnie safe, Stefan! I'm trying to keep Elena alive!" Damon was definitely convincing Stefan that he had feelings for Bonnie. Stefan wondered if Damon even knew. He decides to try to ease some of his worry.

"Bonnie is with her, Damon, she's not completely defenseless. You should know that from the amount of times she's put you on your ass. Your emotions are getting in the way of our plan."

"I know Bonnie is strong," He sneers. "But how well do you think she's gonna fair up against a witch whose been reading cookbooks since before we were born?" He didn't believe Stefan wouldn't take that into account. "And m-my emotions?" Wasn't he the one threatening to drive Elena off Wickery Bridge? "How is this even happening right now?" He and Stefan had switched roles; now Damon was the one who thought everything through and tried covering all his bases, and Stefan ran off of emotions, so where was this coming from?

"Maybe because you care too damn much." He answers back stonily.

"And you don't? You were all 'let's be brothers!' last night, but now you're back to being a dick." What had he missed in the last twelve hours?

"I'm allowed to change my mind. It's not the first time one of us has decided we didn't want to be brothers," He moves towards the door. "You know, if you weren't so distracted by Bonnie, you might've seen this coming." He leaves Damon with that thought.

* * *

"So...what are we doing out here?" Matt asks Rebekah once they're outside.

"Just taking a break from the polite chit-chat." She could swear there were eyes on them, but she didn't see anyone.

"It's freezing, let me get my coat." Matt suggests, walking to his truck.

" _This_ is your car?" Rebekah says once she sees the old light blue pick-up.

"Yep," He opens his door and grabs his jacket. "If I could compel myself a Maserati, I would. But I can't." He replies as he puts his jacket over Rebekah's shoulders.

"Oh…" Rebekah says once he places the jacket on her. "I'm a vampire, we don't-thanks." She finishes sweetly.

"Can I ask why you wanted me here Rebekah?" He'd been having fun with Rebekah up until Caroline told him she'd attacked Elena.

"I wanted to freak Elena out, but I really am having a good time with you, Matt." She was surprised at how much of a good time she was having with him; she expected to be bored, but he'd told her funny stories about the people in the room he'd encountered over the years of living in Mystic Falls, could hold a conversation with her quite decently, and when he thought no one was looking, would give strawberry tarts to the children that were too short to reach the serving trays when their parents weren't looking.

"Did you really attack Elena after me and Lexx left? I mean, you attacked her already, and then you invite me here," He sighs. "Isn't that enough?"

"I just wanted to scare her, it was the least I could do after she put a _dagger_ in my back." Rebekah reminds him.

"You expect me to believe that? That you were only trying to scare her, not kill her?" Matt didn't know if he bought that.

"I was. You've seen what Klaus is capable of, I understand why she felt she had to do it," Her brother was ruthless, she'd been on the receiving end a few times herself, but he was still family. "But be warned, if she tries anything else, I'll rip her to shreds." Rebekah says laughing.

"I don't think you have to worry about it, but I'll make sure I tell her." Matt chuckles.

"Come on, I think I got all the fresh air I need." She pivots on her foot to head back, when Matt reaches for her hand to tug her along side him. She stills.

"You alright?"

"Yes," She nods her head quickly. She only expected him to make contact with her when it was needed. "I just lost my footing for a moment." He still hadn't let go of her hand. Matt gives her a curious once over.

"Okay." He starts walking again. Kol appears out of the shadows, looking put of by the scene he's just witnessed.

* * *

"So, how was my Mother?" Elijah asks, coming to stand next to Elena.

"Intense," She exhales. "A warning would've been nice."

"And for what reason did she need to speak with you in private?" He takes two champagne glasses of the waiter's tray. "Elena, should I be concerned about my Mother's intentions?" This could be the only chance she had at getting rid of Klaus.

"She just wanted to apologize for trying to have me killed." She hoped he would stop asking her questions and let her leave.

"So it's true, then?" He takes a step closer to Elena.

"You know," I hear Niklaus say. "I'm starting to think you return my affections." It seemed Niklaus had slithered his way through the crowd and found me. I feel my face frown up. I place my hand on my chin and a finger covers my mouth.

"How did you come to that conclusion Niklaus?" I ask as Esther rings a glass, signaling everyone's attention.

"She's forgiven Klaus?" Elijah didn't believe it.

"It's true." Elena lies. Her mouth said yes, but her body conveyed the opposite. Elijah didn't know if he believed her.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman. Waiters are coming around with champagne, I invite you all to join me in raising a glass."

"You never said you didn't feel the same way," I thought I made that clear when I said I'd been trying to kill him since I got back in town _._ He takes a glass from the waiter. "Are you not going to take a glass, Alexandra?" He smiles. It's full of mischief. I sigh and turn my attention back to the speech his Mother is giving.

"It provides me with no greater joy, then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!" Esther says.

"Cheers!" Everyone shouts.

"Cheers." Elijah says as he and Elena clink their glasses and drink their champagne. I exhale a sigh of relief. Now I could go.

"Well, I came, I danced, I ate crab puffs, and now, I leave." I say to myself. I bypass Niklaus as he downs his glass and quickly places it on the nearest tray. He rushes in front of me, causing us to collide. I step away from him before he can recreate what happened two nights ago.

"I want to show you something." _What now?_

"I doubt you can think of one good reason as to why I should go with you." I challenge. That all to familiar smirk crosses his face.

"I don't remember sending Bonnie an invitation." I side step him. He follows. We end up in foyer of the house.

"True," I admit. "But the last time I left Bonnie alone, she got kidnapped and Elena and I ended up tied to a post in a barn." He takes my arm, stopping me.

"You were there?" He didn't know that. I shrug out of his hold.

"Yeah. So excuse me if I don't trust when you send everyone a invitation, but her. Makes me think you have something planned." I knew Damon wouldn't let anything happen to her while he was here.

"I've never been one to keep the company of those that can kill me." He was referring to the sacrifice. I purse my lips.

"Aren't you the one with the habit of bringing out daggers when things don't go the way you plan?"

"What I have to show you will only take a minute of your time, Alexandra." He sidesteps my question. I never did get around to asking him any questions.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Did you like the Bamon I included last chapter, tell me what you thought! Did you guys enjoy Bonnie being at the ball this time around?


	12. Chapter 12

Musical inspiration: Take Me Somewhere Nice- Mogwai

I don't own Cinderella.

A Bamon/Stelena showdown is on its way.

* * *

Dangerous Liaisons Are Bound To Spark A Fire Part IV

"What did you want to show me?" I ask unenthusiastically. I thought he would've spent the rest of the night avoiding me after our conversation. _And Damon thought a meeting with Esther was the lion's den._

"I figured since you didn't get the full tour when the ball was going on, you could now." I see a painting hung on in the hallway that I didn't notice the first time I was in here. I inspect the painting.

"Impressive," I continue walking down the hallway as Klaus watches me. "And the bracelet you sent Caroline, where'd you get that?" I ask curiously.

"Well, that's a long story, but to make it short, a princess." Now I was intrigued.

"Do I even wanna know?" I ask as stop to glance at him. He steps towards me.

"Do you?" I advert my attention to the other painting on the right wall.

"Regal me with the tale, Niklaus." I resume my walking as he begins the story.

"Back in fifteen ninety-seven, Elijah and I were living in Spain. As you can imagine, it was good time financially due to the leadership of King Henry IV, debt on the people were reduced alliances were formed with Morocco and Persia, and the bubonic plague hadn't occurred yet." Looked like simple questions got me the most information. _Hmm._

"Enough with the history lesson, where did you get the diamonds from nobleman?" I mock. He'd gotten use to them trading insults to one-up the other and the new territory they had entered was leaving him slightly flustered.

"One of the Kings from Morocco made a quick stop to check progress on the agricultural reforms with his daughter while travelling. She didn't notice when it fell off her wrist."

"So, you being the good Samaritan that you are, returned it and she let you keep it." This was a boring story.

"Oh, no," He shakes his head. "I invited her to my chambers and has she was leaving I pointed out she was leaving it behind; she told me it was a gift from a suitor and she hated it, so she told me to keep it."

"So, you were a gigolo?" I laugh as he joins in. "It's weird knowing that that you probably have a million different stories that are twice as exciting has that," He was smiling at me, a genuine smile and not one that was full of mischief like earlier. And that was my que to leave _. "_ I should go before Bonnie leaves. She's my ride home and I don't want her waiting on me."

"Do you really have to go, Alexandra?" He thought they were bonding.

"Kinda hard to forget that Tyler isn't sired to you," I think it was easy for me to laugh with him because I had seen a different side of him two nights ago, but he was still the same guy that vowed he would never leave Elena alone. "That he doesn't have a family, friends, a life to get back to, that you haven't been terrorizing my friends and the town for the last year," I can just make out Niklaus' crossed expression. "What does Esther being here change? Do you release Tyler from his sire bond, does Elena get to go to college and not anxiously wait for you to knock at her dorm room to donate to the local hybrid army?" I ask lowly, but urgently.

"You know, this has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to leave." He was angry at the sudden change in mood. _Yeah, I wasn't a one night stand._

"I think I get it," I voice softly as I stop at the top of the staircase. "Mikael and your Mom didn't love you, so you think the only way people are gonna care about you, is if you make them stay by making them hybrids. It doesn't last because it's not real. You can't make real connections with people if you're forcing them to be bound to you."

* * *

"Bonnie," At the sudden sound of her name, Bonnie turns around. It's Damon. "Did Elena get what she wanted?" Damon finishes as he reaches her in the foyer of the Mikaelsons house.

"Actually, yes. It went off without a hitch, Damon, nothing bad happened." If anything, everything couldn't have gone better if she planned it herself.

"Good. She can tell me on the ride home," Walking past Bonnie, he goes to find Elena. "We're leaving."

"Uh, no," Bonnie grabs Damon's arm to stop him. "Look, I'm sorry that Elena had to cut you out of the plan, but she needed to know what Esther wanted." Damon needed to see the bigger picture and get out of his head.

"There shouldn't have been a plan, Bonnie," He still hadn't stepped out of her hold. "She shouldn't have been here, but Lexx made me think she was on my side and helping me." He was visibly upset and Bonnie could see that.

"Do you think they like going behind your back? They don't. But if Elena hadn't asked Stefan to help, then you would've tried to be the hero, Lexx knows that, and it would've ruined everything." She softly explains.

"Sorry for trying to keep you safe," He states bitingly. "Clearly, Stefan doesn't give a shit about Elena anymore." Bonnie lifts her hand from Damon's arm. She was shocked. Since when did he care about her safety? The last time Damon said he wanted to protect her, she ended up with his fangs tearing through her jugular like a kid ripping through a birthday present. This was the guy who 'would gladly let her die', remember?

"Are you mad at me for going along with Elena's plan or her for including Stefan, Damon?" She would worry about the other stuff later and distract herself with what she knew, what she was used to; Damon being mad.

"No, I'm mad at you because out of everyone, if Lexx and Vampire Barbie didn't have my back, then you were suppose to!" She was suppose to be one of her best friends after all.

"Where were you when Jeremy needed you to have his back?" Did he completely forget he'd compelled Jeremy to up and leave to Denver without his consent? He scoffs.

"Of course," Why did he get so agitated anytime she brought him up? "Everything comes back to your boyfriend." He couldn't help but let his mind flash back to them dancing at the Decades dance. Gilbert looked a little too close for comfort so that was when he decided to cut in.

"For the last time, Damon, We. Didn't. Date," She grits out through her teeth. She sighs, trying to get a handle on her emotions and the situation at hand. "Just 'cause Elena asked you to compel him, doesn't mean you had to say 'yes'. There's always a choice," She shrugs her shoulders. "Besides, I'm not useless, Damon. I can handle myself pretty damn good." How many times did she have to prove herself before he accepted it? Damon's mind flickers back to the conversation he had with Stefan at her last comment.

"I didn't say you couldn't," He looks at her earnestly before schooling his face. "But I thought you would be the one to wanna keep Elena safe the most!" Bonnie arches her back.

"Well, maybe that's the problem here, Damon. You assumed I'd have your back," At Damon's hurt expression, Bonnie knows she's said the wrong thing. "Wait, Damon, that's not-" She tries to grab his arm, but he steps out of her reach.

"No, I get it," He raises his hands in surrender. "I expect too much, I care too much; I'm a liability," He laughs bitterly. "How ironic is that coming from you of all people?" He asks as Caroline comes up to them.

"Have you guys seen Matt?" Caroline asks worriedly, interrupting the tense atmosphere between them.

"Uh, no," She clears her throat. "Sorry, Care." Bonnie answers, glancing at Damon dismally.

"Care," I call out from up top the stairs. "What are you still doing here?" I lean against the railing.

"Lexx, where did you come from?"

"The bathroom," I needed a place to think after my talk with, Klaus. "But why are you still here? I thought you were going home to call Tyler."

"I was. Just wanted to make sure Matt got home safe."

"Oh, I ran into him when I was looking for the bathroom."

"How long ago was that?"

"Maybe five minutes. I can go get him if you want." I offer.

"Yea. Thanks, Lexx."

"Can you come with me, Damon? We could cover more ground." I give him a pointed look. He looked pissed and this would give me a chance to apologize.

"Sure." He plasters a sarcastic smile on his face. Once he meets me upstairs, I start talking.

"You're mad." And it's not a question, it's a fact.

"I'm just peachy. I'm use to getting stabbed in the back by people." That pulls me up short.

"Whoa," Grabbing his arm, I stop him. "Is that your way of calling me Katherine?" Now I was pissed!

"Let go, Lexx." He clenches his jaw.

"I don't like lying to you, okay? I really don't," Damon couldn't help but think of Bonnie's words from a few minutes ago. "But this wasn't just about keeping Bonnie and Elena safe. This was about _all_ of us being safe and that means you too. I wasn't about to let you be blinded by your need to keep Elena safe to payback Stefan for saving you from Tyler's werewolf bite, get in the way of that."

"So, what, you think I'm a liability now too?" He asks bitterly. He had looked tense before I got to him and Bonnie, so maybe this was about whatever they were talking about. What was going on with those two?

"I'm saying you've been trying to do what you think Stefan would do since he's had his switch off," I know it must have been exhausting for him to take on the role of 'good brother'; once upon a time they both and been good, but Katherine had strutted into their lives and made Damon's abandonment issues all the more severe. "You can be Damon. It's fine." I look at him until he meets my eye. He nods his head before walking off. This night was turning out to be as stressful has last night.

Retracing my steps, I go back to where I saw Matt last; he wasn't here. Turning around, I head in a different direction where there are less people. I see two balcony doors open and I can hear Matt's voice. _Who was he talking to?_

"Matt Donovan."

"Kol Mikaelson." That was weird, what could he want with Matt? Kol and Matt shake hands; Kol is breaking his hand.

"Aah!" I hear Matt scream. _I guess that was my answer._

"Matty!" I yell. He was kneeling on the ground and Kol had his hand in a vice grip. Before I can think, I'm reaching for the knife strap under my dress and throwing a knife at Kol.

"Aah!" _Yea, I covered it in vervain!_

"Hey, easy on the hand," I hear Damon say from behind me. "Guy's a quarterback." He pushes Kol over the balcony and jumps down to follow him.

"Lexx, my hand, I think it's broken!"

"Okay, uh, where are your keys?" He points to his right pocket, I fish them out. "Put your arm around me so we can get you to the hospital." Bending down, I put Matt's left arm around me and quickly make my way down the stairs. I expect to see Bonnie and Care at the bottom, but they're by the front doors and they're wide open.

"Damon! Are you crazy!" I hear Stefan ask him as the rest of the Mikaelsons and Elena come out and to see what's happening.

"Maybe a little, but I was told it was 'okay to be, Damon'." He says, walking off.

"Oh my god, your hand!" Caroline yells as she sees Matt I breakthrough the circle.

"Matt…what happened?" Rebekah asks shocked. _Like she hadn't planned this!_

"That bastard tried to break his hand, so Damon broke his neck." I answer.

"Matt where are your keys, I'll get your truck." Bonnie voices. I hand her the keys and she runs off.

"Come on, Matt, I'll carry you." Caroline speaks, taking Matt from me.

"Is this how you planned to get back at Elena? Is this why you asked Matt to go with you!" I scream at Rebekah.

"I didn't know anything about this!" And I can see tears forming in her eyes. _So Kol was just as sadistic has his older brother, I see._

"You know," I walk over to Kol's lifeless body and bend down. "This has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for us to leave," I voice, throwing Niklaus a pointed look. "You might wanna work at getting a better handle on your children." I suggest to Esther, ripping the knife out of his chest.

* * *

"No violence, that was all I asked. Kol disgraced our family tonight!" Esther yells to Elijah.

"It won't happen again, Mother. I'll deal with him." Elijah promises.

"Thank you, Elijah," She places her hand on his cheek in thanks. "I wish the others were more like you." Elijah leaves; Finn comes in and shuts the doors.

"Are we alright to speak freely?"

"Yes, the sage still burns." She begins writing her children's names on a piece of paper in runic handwriting.

"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"He could see her resolve had a slight crack in it.

"Of course not, it's just Elijah," She says, slightly shaken up. "He's so moral."

"You're doing the right thing, Mother."

"You understand what this means, don't you? This spell I'm casting tonight will bind you all together as one."

"I understand. When it is time, I will be ready to die."

"Then we must complete the link," Cutting Finn's hand, his blood spills onto the paper following a path to the names and making a tree. Esther starts to recite a spell. "You are all one."

* * *

"Hi," Rebekah says tentatively once she makes her way to Matt at the bar. "How are you doing?"

"Well let's see, I went to a dance and got my hand crushed, found out that I don't have health insurance, so I just needed a minute to myself." He answers bitterly and rightfully so.

"Well, I thought, maybe I'd buy you an apology drink." She hated that their night had been ruined because Kol was a hothead.

"Maybe you could just leave me alone." He didn't react well when his dates brothers' crushed his hand.

"Look, I'm-I'm really sorry about Kol, he's a lunatic. I had no idea he would do that to you, I told him to stay away from you." She thought she had been very clear on that.

"Look, Rebekah, you're really fun and pretty and all, but I really need you to leave me alone." He gets up from his seat. She waits before responding.

"If I can't buy you an apology drink, the least I can do is compel a doctor to get your hand taken care of," She says to his retreating figure. "I know it's not a Maserati, but..." Matt knew a good idea when he heard one.

"Fine." Matt reluctantly agrees and Rebekah is following him out before he can change his mind. As they enter the night air, and walk to Matt's truck, she giggles.

"What?" He stills his good hand on the drivers side door handle.

"You called me 'pretty'." Rebekah reminds him as she gets in.

"That would be the only thing you heard." He shakes his head as he closes her door and walks to the passengers' side of the truck. This girl was gonna be trouble.

* * *

"I don't remember Cinderella having to deal with all of this when she went to the ball." Bonnie sighs.

"Right, all she left was a glass slipper," I groan. "Hey, Bon I've been meaning to ask, what happened to the moonstone after the sacrifice?"

"It served its purpose, it turned into ash." I hum a noise of understanding.

"Did you take it with you?" Bonnie glances at me curiously.

"No, actually," She answers as she parks the car. "Did you have a idea I should know about?"

"No, just was curious about its whereabouts. Wanted to make sure Klaus didn't have it; you guys said he faked the information about the Sun and the Moon curse, no telling if he lied about the moonstone only breaking his curse. Last thing we need is him weaponizing it." I reply as I unbuckle my seat belt.

"True. I'll be back in twenty minutes, is that enough time for you to be ready?" We'd decided to have a sleepover at Elena's house after the ball and Bonnie was gonna go get pizza.

"Yeah, I'll just change once we get there." I close her car door.

"Alright, I'll be back." Bonnie drives off and it's not until I watch her car lights disappear around a corner that I realize, I don't have my purse. I must've left it when I was making sure Matt was alright. _Dammit_. Sighing, I sit on the porch steps and wait for Bonnie to get back.

"This didn't happen to Cinderella." I mutter as put my hand under my chin. My phone goes off, breaking me out of my funk.

"Hello." I answer.

"Lexx, hey," A smile stretches across his face as he hears her voice. "We haven't talked in a while." I roll my eyes.

"Boy, it's been two days," He laughs. "But you can talk to me as much has to want right now." It'd be a nice distraction until Bon got back.

"Is this your way of telling me you miss the sound of my voice?"

 _"_ Pretty sure _you_ called _me_." I point out.

"Well, maybe the girls out here aren't doing it for me." I'm quiet for a few seconds. _Was he_ _...?_ No, he couldn't be.

"Huh," I say after a moment. "So, I'm locked outside Bon's house." I clear my throat, trying to get rid of my nerves. This night had me so messed up, I even thought Jeremy was flirting with me.

"I see instead of leaving a glass slipper, Cinderella left her house keys?" He jokes. He wondered how she looked; he hadn't seen her in a dress since the Founder's Day Celebration. Knowing her, she probably wore something eye-catching like red or green.

"I'm gonna let you have that one, that was nice," I laugh. "Did Elena tell you about the invitation we got?"

"She mentioned that Klaus and his family were throwing a ball. I just can't believe you guys would go." It sounded like trap. He was surprised when she answered; he called on the off chance she may pick up to make sure she was okay.

"Klaus' Mom has a strict 'no hurting the locals' rule, but that didn't apply to Matt; Kol, Klaus' brother, crushed his hand." I probably shouldn't be telling him this, but lying to him hadn't worked out so well in the past.

"I told Elena you guys shouldn't go," He sighs. "Is he okay?"

"Caroline dropped him off at the Grill so he could wallow," Only after Kai promised to drive him home. "He doesn't have health insurance, so I'm gonna have Damon compel a doctor."

"He won't like that, Lexx." Jeremy knew Matt was the kind of person who liked to do things on his own; no one would used 'reliable' to describe Kelly Donovan, so Matt got use to doing things on his own and it was hard to accept help even if it was from friends. And what ever Damon was to him.

"Well, he'll like not being in pain more," Jeremy chuckles before his end goes quiet. "You got quiet all of a sudden."

"You haven't mentioned Ric." I lean back on my elbows and tilt my head upwards to the night sky.

"It's a stab wound, worst things have happened." I reply bluntly.

"Lexx," He whispers. "Talk to me." He urges lightly.

"What do want me to say?" I blow a strand of hair out of my face. "That I've gotten use to things like this happening? That I'm scared, that I want you here?" I yell. "What, Jeremy!" Jeremy knew it was only a matter of time before Lexx let her frustrations spill over. They had dealt with vampires, a pack of wolves, even a witch, but that paled in comparison to the mental anguish Klaus had put them through. It was one of the reasons he never went through with telling Lexx about everything that was happening.

"I want you to stop thinking you're in this by yourself. We're gonna get through this. All of us." I nod my head even though he can't see me. I sniffle.

"Yeah, all of us," That got me thinking. "What did Jenna think about all of this when you finally told her?" I hear him take a sharp breath.

"She, uh, took it about as well has you think she did." I laugh, imagining Jenna trying to pull her out.

"Freaking out is always the first reaction. She hasn't been answering her phone though, what's up with that?"

"She's probably busy," Being dead. "You remember how she gets when she's selling a house; she gets in the zone and shuts everything else out." The trip she took to go visit friends in McKinley had turned into her selling a house after Lexx had called her and left a message saying that she needed to get back the night Stefan took Elena on Wickery Bridge.

"Yeah, but it's been two weeks since I got back, shouldn't she be done by now?" It didn't usually take her this long to close a deal. Jeremy hated lying to Lexx and he was gonna stop; they couldn't keep selling her the same story. He only hated that he couldn't tell her in person.

"If you needed to know something important on a scale of one to ten, regardless of your medical condition, how bad would you want me to tell you?" I don't hesitant.

"Thirty-two." He nods his head even though she can't see him.

"And if I couldn't tell you in person?"

"Then I would say that's Elena fault," I missed him more than I wanted to admit.

"Lexx, what?"

"Nothing. I guess my answer would be a twenty." As quickly has she dismissed it, Jeremy felt a slight scratch at the back of his head. Like something was trying to break through to make it's way to the surface. He could hear Elena's voice, repeating the word 'Denver' over while Alaric stood behind her. Whatever the bizarre memory was, it would have to wait until he was done talking to Lexx.

"You remember that Klaus needed a wolf and a vampire to break the hybrid curse his Mom put on him right?" Elena and Alaric were gonna kill him.

"He was gonna use Tyler, but he couldn't hold of turning because of the full moon, so he used a woman named Jules." I answer.

"And what about the vampire?" Damon was gonna snap his neck again. Only this time, he'd check to make sure he wasn't wearing his ring.

"You guys told me it was random girl you didn't know." Why was he changing the subject to something that had nothing to do with Jenna?

"Alexandra..." He still had to time stop himself. My body shoots into a sitting position at the sound of my full name.

"Jeremy." My grip on the phone tightens as I wait with a unsteady breath.

"Klaus turned Jenna into a vampire and killed her." His voice is so low that it carries with the wind whipping through the night. I can hear his voice, but it goes in out, like the car radio in my Dad's car. The signal comes in clear enough for me to catch Katherine's name and slowly turns to back to static as he tells me the last thing she did was try to stop Greta from completing the spell before Klaus drove a stake through her heart.

"I can't deal with this." My voice is hollow and my hand is quick as I hang up the phone, cutting off Jeremy's lie. Jenna was vibrant, she always had a story to tell, she was nice to everyone, she was-

"Did you need this?" I hear voice ask from ask me; looking up from my phone, I see its Niklaus and he has my purse. "You really do have a knack for leaving your keys, don't you?" Murdered by the man standing in front of me. "I can't say I expected you to speak to me what with Kol, injuring Matt." He says to my silence. I try to focus my vision on him, but my mind is manipulating the scene to a freshly turned Jenna being staked in the heart while her niece watches on in horror.

"I, uh, just wanted to make sure you received your purse," He speaks, setting my purse down next to me and turning to leave. "I also wanted to thank you for your honesty tonight," I feel the fog that's clouding my head clear up slightly as I process his words. My brow no doubt frowned up in confusion. "I'm only accustomed to my family telling me the truth and it's a welcomed change to hear someone whose not sired to or has anything to gain from me, be so direct. Thank you, Alexandra." Then he leaves, but the picture of Jenna's body falling to the ground with her skin fading from creamy and smooth to pale, streaky gray, stays.

* * *

"So, uh, Esther wants to kill her whole family. How is that for Mother of the year?" Stefan asks Elena as closes her front door.

"Yeah. And I got to look Elijah right in the eye and lie to him about it." Elena says guiltily.

"Well, good. I can't say I'll be sorry to see any of them go."

"I just signed their death sentences Stefan."

"No, you signed _Klaus's_ death sentence, Elena," He clarifies. "Everyone else is just collateral damage."

"It's not that simple, Stefan," She disagrees. "You'd know that if you your humanity was on."

"Their family has brought us nothing but darkness, Elena. It is that simple," Elena stares at him quizzically. She noticed that Stefan said 'us' and not 'her'. He realizes she's caught his slip. "So, uh...where's Damon? I would think that he'd wanna make sure you got home safely." He states, changing the subject.

"I'll call him and let him know." She dismisses.

"What was with him going after Kol like that? I thought he didn't like Matt." He'd talk about anything to keep himself from kissing her again. She look gorgeous in her dress and dancing with her had flooded his mind with old memories of the two of them. He should leave, a voice told him, but he wanted to hold on to this a little while longer.

"I think it had more to do with, Bonnie," Stefan's face frowns in confusion. "She said something she didn't mean, but she wouldn't tell me what." Stefan couldn't recall Bonnie having such a strong effect on Damon before he'd left. He always did think Damon had feelings for Bonnie since the 60's dance.

"So did I," Stefan admits. He walks backwards to the front door, trying to sear the image of Elena into his mind, not knowing when he's gonna let himself get this close to her again. "Anyway, uh, good night." He opens the door and closes it, but Elena grips the side of it before it can close all the way.

"Stefan. Did you really not feel anything?" When they were dancing, it seemed like he was trying to hold back from acting on his feelings.

"When?" He asks huskily. He focuses his attention on a random spot on her dress instead making eye contact.

"How do you do that? Act like you don't care, like you don't feel anything?" She couldn't have been the only one that felt the sparks when they danced. "Because I can't do that. "She stops over the threshold to move closer to him. "I...I feel. I feel everything." The kiss, the dance, everything seemed to heighten her feelings.

"Elena, stop." He pleads lowly, shaking his head. His nerves were still recovering from having had her body pressed against his and her body radiating heat around them.

"I'm not going to stop," Stefan turns his eyes away from her and swallows hard. "I don't believe that you felt nothing." If he didn't, he wouldn't have chased after her and kissed her.

"What, you think I want to be this person?" If she knew how many times he left the house to run to her, she'd be shocked. "I hurt you, Elena. I _bit_ you. I hate myself for what I did to you." How could she still have feelings for him after he'd drove her on Wickery Bridge, after he done everything to push her away and hurt her?

"Then show it," Elena begs, grabbing his face. "Do something," She lets out an inner sigh at the fact he hasn't moved her hands away from him. He looks away trying to fight the instinct to lean into her. "Stefan, anything is better than trying to convince me that you don't care."

"I can't." He whispers and closes his eyes. He'd done too much, too much had happened for them to go back to where they were.

"Stefan." He grips Elena's arms, intent on moving them, but he clings to her instead.

"If I let myself care, all I feel is pain. I can't be who I was before all this happened Elena." Stefan knows he should walk away, leave Elena and go home, but he wants her to fight and pull him in.

"Then we do what we've always done, Stefan," She bends forwards to touch their foreheads together. "We work through it together."

"Elena, please." And he's not sure if he's begging her to stop pushing or letting her know he doesn't have much fight left to hold her off any longer. His resolve is cracking.

"No. Not when I know that you feel something." His wall has crumpled, giving Elena the opening she's looking for. She seizes it. She places her lips on his, applying light pressure. He responds to it quickly, coming alive under her touch. He moves his hands to her waist, slamming her into the partly open front door. He barely has enough time to get them inside and shut the door, before Elena is trying to rip his jacket off his arms. He pauses his movements long enough to throw it haphazardly into the living room and then he's back on Elena.

He greedily explores every inch of her mouth, sliding his tongue past her lips and relearning the taste. Elena lets out a strangled groan that has him rushing them past the stairs and up to her bedroom. He presses her up against her bedroom door. Elena is determined to wrap her legs around his waist, her ballgown be damned. Elena keeps one arm curled into Stefan's hair as she clumsily tries to find the doorknob to open her door.

Once inside, she tries undoing the buttons of his dress shirt; Stefan has the shirt ripped off and thrown on her floor before she can get to button number two. She tentatively reaches out to touch his chest, marveling at the familiar sight of him reacting to her touch. He slowly unzips her dress, revealing a part of her he hasn't seen in what feels like years. They crash into her sheets with her arms sliding around his neck and his hands firmly on her waist. From there, arms and legs tangle together and get lost in each other.


	13. Chapter 13

Musical inspiration: Gasoline House (Mashup) - Halsey vs Melanie Martinez

 **A/N: 'All My Children' will be in five parts. I don't write physical intimacy like ever so sorry if it shows that I'm not skilled.**

Wonder how Bamon and Stelena are fairing after last night.

How is Lexx helping up after Jeremy told her Jenna was dead?

* * *

All My Children's Sins Have Caught Up to Them Part I

I get out and close my door. What was meant to have been a sleepover, turned into breakfast. Tyler had miraculously picked up his phone and Care had ended up talking to him for a few hours, catching each other up on what was going in their lives, with Tyler being vague about his whereabouts as a safety precaution, Bonnie's quick trip had ran short since the pizza place closed early and Elena had called to cancel.

And I...well I wouldn't have been very good company last night. My brain was on a Niklaus overload and the system was currently having trouble downloading the newest updates. Bonnie shot Elena and Care a text and said we'd be over in the morning for breakfast, but I didn't stay for long.

Walking towards the cemetery, I see Jenna's unmarked tombstone a few feet away _._ "I'll try not to take too long. Guess I won't since since you can't talk a mile a minute like you usually do," I laugh sadly. I stop to gain my composure. _Not too sure how I'm even supposed to start this off._ "I realized I hadn't even come by to see you…I just found out though…" I didn't know why I was feeling like this; Jenna has… _had_ always been the easiest person to talk to and now I couldn't even form a sentence. I could feel the tell-tale sign of tears building up in my eyes.

"You know, this would be a lot easier to do if you weren't dead," I wheeze out. "I half expected for you to come barreling down the stairs this morning, running late for an appointment and trying to make sure Jeremy and Elena are dressed and on their way to school when I came over to the house, and Ric…he met this doctor and he likes her, but I-I don't want him to," I try to keep my tears from falling. "Is that bad, Jenna?"

"Lexx…" Caroline comes seemingly out of nowhere to pull me into a hug.

"Does that make me a bad person, Care?" What started off has a few tears had now evolved to full brawling in Caroline's arms.

"Sweetie, no," I hiccup. "Everyone grieves differently. We had time to deal with Jenna's death, you didn't. You weren't supposed to find out like this."

"I didn't know that I felt that way," I wipe the tears from my face. "Wait, why are you here?"

"Bonnie said you seem out of it after the ball and then again this morning. When you said you come over this morning, she asked if I would keep an eye on you to make sure you were okay." Something in me unwinds before it bursts at the seams and goes flying in every direction. I pull out of her hold.

"DO I LOOK OKAY!" Her eyes widen in alarm. Lexx had gotten upset with her- she was a cheerleader and therefore flexible, so she tended to put her foot in her mouth- but never mad. She was fuming. I was usually the most calm out of the group and it was rare when I decided to slip of my mask and change into something else. My eyes were red and slightly puffy from crying last night, I was wearing one of my Dad's old school shirts, and I was crying in front of a make-shift grave. "You guys didn't have the decency to tell me she been dead the last three fucking months!" She flinches away as the expletive leaves my mouth. They had me questioning our friendship. "And what bogus story did you tell everyone to cover up her death?"

"That Jenna ran away because she couldn't handle the responsibility of being their guardian; it was the best she could come up with Lexx," She answers meekly. "If everyone knew her and John were dead, they'd get suspicious and sooner or later they would find out what's really going on in Mystic Falls."

"So, making her out to be a flake is just fine since she's never coming back? All you did was give everyone else something to gossip about when it comes to Jeremy," I didn't know who was worse off; him or Alaric. "You think he needed more pitiful looks thrown his way between his parents, Vicki, and Anna?" Jeremy had shown to be fiercely protective of Lexx, but she didn't realized it flowed both ways.

"They can say what they want. If they were dealing with half of what they were dealing with, they wouldn't last a month." She crosses her arms.

"Good. Let them say what they want, 'cause I won't be talking to you guys for a while." I breeze past her with the hope she tells Elena.

* * *

"Stefan, hey, um…it's me, I really have to talk to you. Please call me back." Elena states, hanging up the phone.

"Stefan still not answering?" Bonnie asks, leaning on her dresser.

"Nope," Sighing, Elena lays down on her bed. Memories of last night flood her mind and she can't help but to let out a content sigh. "Last night was perfect, Bon. It was like...our first time all over again." She voices dreamily.

"You only say that, because it's the first time you guys have had sex in months," Elena throws a pillow at Bonnie. "It's true!" Bonnie laughs. "At least now you know how he feels." Somethings were finally getting back to normal.

"Yeah, he feels pain. Sometimes I wish he wasn't so self-loathing. I don't if he's forgiven himself. Maybe if he has, we can be together."

"Damon has thrown himself at you a dozen times Elena, but, no, you wanted the younger, brooding Salvatore." Bonnie voices playfully.

"Thanks Bon, I needed that," Elena laughs. "How have things been going with your Mom so far?" She asks once she sobers up. She wanted to make sure she didn't get wrapped up in her own problems and forget that Bonnie had drama going on in her life too.

"She's been helping me out with spells. Kinda makes me wonder what my life would've been like if she had stayed," Bonnie answers wistfully. "Lexx is there a lot to make sure she doesn't kidnap me again," She laughs, shaking her head remembering how Lexx kept an eagle like watch on Abby anytime they were both in the same room. "And when she can't be there, she makes sure Care or Damon is." Elena quirks her eyebrow. When Damon first came to town, he was determined to do anything to get Katherine out of the tomb she was stuck in and if it meant killing people to make it happen or burning Mystic Falls down to the ground to do so, then you were gonna see smoke. Elena had noticed that after Damon found out Katherine wasn't in the tomb, he dialed back on his antics and started being a a bit more bearable with her, Bonnie and Stefan.

If Elena were honest, she noticed the shift in their relationship after Bonnie helped destroy the Gilbert device. Damon had took notice of how powerful Bonnie had grown so now he had to be wary of her threats because she could back it up now, but he would occasionally help her out with a spell, albeit with snarky commentary, but it helped Bonnie in the end. The gears really switched the night of the Decades dance; she thought Damon had been such an uncaring piece of shit with how he treated Bonnie like she was an inconvenience after she died fighting Klaus in Alaric's body.

Regardless of the good she saw in him, that was the moment she was ready to wipe her hands of him. She didn't learn until later that night that Damon had helped Bonnie fake her death so Klaus would think he didn't have a witch to worry about anymore. The grief that had crippled her at the thought of a girl she considered a sister being dead, almost had her doubling over from relief.

When Stefan had left to check on Jeremy, Damon decided that was the opportune time to confess he'd let Bonnie die if meant keeping her safe. She wondered who he was trying to convince as he stood there without his jacket he had so quickly given to Bonnie without a moments thoughts to keep her warm while she was 'dead' and spent unnecessary time with her by spinning her on a dance floor. And now that part made sense to her too; he had done it to get the fake death thing off her mind, if only temporarily. The thought of Bonnie being dead had awakened something in Damon he didn't want to admit and he was determined to use her at every turn has long as he didn't have to deal with them.

"And Damon doesn't have a problem with that?" She always thought Damon had a soft spot for Bonnie and these last few weeks were proving her right.

"No, which surprises me," If there was one thing Bonnie was good at it, it was reading Damon Salvatore. But lately, he'd went from easy to read English to advanced Russian. And Spanish was the only other language she understood besides Latin. "I guess since Lexx is the one asking, it's okay. Did you try calling him?" Elena wasn't convinced by Bonnie's reasoning; Damon didn't do things unless he got something out of it and he could've easily asked Lexx how Bonnie was, but he personally checked up her and she could bet it wasn't at Lexx's suggestion. So, what was he getting? She should focus on that later and get back to trying to get Damon to answer his phone.

"I called three different times this morning. I had Stefan snap his neck, he's not gonna answer," Grabbing her towel Elena heads to the shower. "Can you try him? I'm gonna go take a quick shower."

"Whoa, you had Stefan break his neck, Lena?" No wonder he was pissed last night. Bonnie is shocked to say the least. "That wasn't what I was expecting when you told me you had a plan." Bonnie says to her retreating figure.

"What else was I supposed to do, Bonnie? You saw Damon yesterday," She shrugs her shoulders at a lost. "He was hell-bent on making sure I stayed home and didn't get hurt. I didn't know what else to do." Elena sighs and heads out of the room.

"Still seems harsh," Dialing Damon's number, Bonnie anxiously waits for him to pick up. "But he might not pick up for me either."

"What?" Damon answers snippily.

"Elena's been calling you since this morning. She needs to talk to you."

"Sorry, I've been busy."

She snorts. "Having sex with whoever you picked up at the Grill or drinking your non-working liver into oblivion, doesn't rank has 'busy', Damon."

"Does for me, witch." He answers dryly.

"Look, if you're mad Damon, just say it so we can talk about what Esther told us."

"Oh, I'm over it." He says before hanging up the phone. Bonnie sighs.

"Great. If he's mad at me and Elena, he might be less compliant," She pauses. "I'm gonna have to apologize, aren't I?" She asks bitterly to no one in particular.

"What did he say, did you get him?" Elena asks, looking through her closet for something to wear.

"We're gonna have to go to the house if we wanna talk." Elena tenses.

"Guess the Salvatores' house is the lion's den today."

* * *

"Should we knock?" Bonnie asks as she pulls up to the Salvatore Boarding house.

"No. If we knock and they see it's us, they might not let us in." Getting out, Elena closes the door and with Bonnie close behind, walks in through the front door.

"Come to lure me into another room and snap my neck Elena?" Damon asks from the fireplace.

"Damon, I'm sorry. If there had been another way to stop you, I would've did it, but I found out something important that I wouldn't have, if I had stayed home."

"Why don't you go cook up a scheme with broody," Damon gestures towards the ceiling. "He's upstairs." Elena sees she's getting nowhere with Damon and leaves to go talk to Stefan. Hopefully Bonnie would have better luck.

* * *

Once upstairs, Elena stands in front of Stefan's bedroom door. It'd been a while since she'd been inside there. "You can come in, Elena." Stefan voice breaks through her thoughts.

She walks in and see's he's seated at his desk "Hi." She speaks shyly brushing her behind her ear. Stefan tries not to remember how her hair felt brushing up against his shoulders.

"Hi." He greets back with a small smile. It was a re-introduction of getting used to being comfortable around Stefan.

"You, uh, you were gone when I woke up." She thought she had imagined him holding her against his chest and lulling her to sleep with his hands rubbing her back. She was convinced she had dreamed it, 'til she found his jacket on her coffee table.

"I saw the text Bonnie sent, didn't want it being awkward." Otherwise he would've held her in his arms all day. He almost forgot how perfect her body molded into his when they were together. She nods her head in understanding, looking around the room awkwardly.

He laughs lightly. "You can sit down, Elena." She didn't know where to sit. The bed felt too intimate, even after last night and leaning on the door felt distant. She decides on a chair in front of the desk that's a foot away. She wanted to give him space but not too much just in case he decided that what happened between them was a mistake.

"You didn't answer any of my calls. I thought maybe you were mad about last night."

"I'm not mad Elena," It was just the opposite. He leans closer on the desk. "I-I just don't now how to talk to you anymore." He admits.

"You knew how to last night." Elena purposely doesn't make eye contact.

Stefan exhales sharply. "Elena," He warns. If she kept doing that he would stop caring that Damon and Bonnie were downstairs. "I meant _verbally_. How do we find our way back, what are we suppose to talk about?"

"Well, I'm having second thoughts about letting Esther kill all her children." That was bound to get the ball rolling.

"What?" Stefan had already lost the dagger when he stopped Damon from killing Klaus when they found Mikael and he didn't plan on losing another way to kill Klaus.

"I want Klaus gone, but not at the expanse of Elijah or Rebekah." She had already stabbed Rebekah in the back once.

"Elena, I can't help keep you safe from five Originals." He barely succeeded in keeping her safe from one.

"Why do you assume they're all bad? Elijah has helped us before." They wouldn't have known anything about Klaus besides that he wanted Elena because she was a doppelgänger.

"Until he got a conscience and left you to die." He reminds her, crossing his arms. Klaus could have been dead, but Elijah had picked saving Klaus over protecting Elena at the last minute.

"He didn't know Klaus was gonna use the dagger on him." She counters.

"And if he had stuck with the plan like he agreed to, he wouldn't have had to find out."

"He's his brother," She leans towards in the chair. "You traded your freedom to get the cure for Damon's werewolf bite."

"I'm not changing my mind Elena," She pushes the chair back and gets up. Stefan grabs her wrist before she can take a step towards the door. "Everyone else is collateral damage if it means our friends and Mystic falls is free of Klaus. I'll be happy once I know he's dead and out of our lives for good."

* * *

"Damon-" Bonnie begins to start.

"It was my neck that got snap like a lobster last night, so if you're gonna-"

"I'm sorry." That stops him cold.

"Can you repeat that again?" There was no way in _Hell_ , Bonnie Shelia Bennett had apologized, and surely not to him. They disagreed on almost everything, well except for Elena, and this was an Elena related matter.

"I didn't know that Elena was gonna have Stefan do that," Damon pours himself another drink while he tries to think of something to say, but he ends up nodding his head. Bonnie was expecting more than a curt nod. She finds herself fidgeting with the sleeves of her sweater and decides to break the awkward silence that's occupying the space. "You should know that Esther is planning on killing her entire family. She's linked them all together with a spell so whatever happens to one, happens to all of them."

"Well, that's great! Klaus will finally be dead, we win," He notices Bonnie's expression. "So, why do you look like someone just shot a puppy, Bonnie?"

"To kill Klaus, she has to kill all of them, including Elijah. And as much has I don't like him, he helped us after we tried to kill him several times and made sure Rebekah didn't kill Elena when she got undaggered. Elena doesn't think he deserves this and a small part of me feels the same way." It vaguely registers in her mind that he's called her 'Bonnie'.

"I'm supposed to care about Elijah, about the small part of you?" Bonnie tilts her head.

"You know, I thought that you might be a little more compassionate since it's Elena." Damon moves from the parlor and slowly starts to circle around her.

"Catch up, witch," He stops behind her. Bonnie tilts her head to the right as a exasperated scoff leaves her mouth. She can feel the heat radiating from his body and his breathe on neck. "That ship has sailed." Well this was the first she'd heard of it.

"Maybe Elena will have better luck with, Stefan." Moving past Damon, she goes to wait in her car, but Damon zooms in front of her, blocking her path.

"Don't do anything to screw this up, Bonnie." He threatens, leaning towards her.

"I'm not Elena, Damon," She juts her head up. "I can and will hurt you." Just then Stefan walks in with Elena following him down. Stefan and Elena wonder if they're aware of how close they're leaning in to one another.

"Damon's right, you know." Stefan announces.

"Elijah has helped us even after we've lied to him and tried to kill him. How are you alright with this?" Elena questions Stefan. He eyes soften and he sighs.

"We talked about this last night, Elena. Klaus has to die. They all do."

"You don't feel the least bit guilty throwing him under the bus?" Bonnie asks Damon.

"Nope and Stefan agrees. Don't you just love seeing democracy in action?" He takes a sip from his glass as Bonnie knocks into him on her way out, causing his drink to spill on the carpet.

* * *

"Well, well, well, there's our girl." Kol mocks as Rebekah comes into the room. She tries to move past him, but he blocks her way.

"Get out of my way, Kol." He was the last person she wanted to deal with it right now.

"Out all night, what a scandal! I trust you did better than that commoner, Matt, was it?" Rebekah smiles at the mention of his name.

"Actually, I took him to the hospital to make sure he was alright after you nearly broke his hand! What is wrong with you, Kol? You're undaggered for a few hours and the first thing you do is try to kill someone in a house full of people; never were the smart one were you?"

"You touch him again, and the next thing to come out of your mouth will be your teeth." Klaus grins. "Don't start, Nik." Rebekah commands.

"I didn't say anything." Klaus says as a knock comes from the front door.

"Were any of you expecting company?" Elijah asks as he makes his to the front of the house.

"I haven't been here long enough to make friends." Kol answers, following after Elijah. Klaus stays behind to finish his drawing.

"Maybe if you didn't try murdering people, Kol..." Rebekah lets her sentence hang and walks past Kol to go change her clothes. Opening the door, Elijah sees Lexx standing in the doorway.

"Alexandra," Elijah says stunned. He wasn't expecting to see her anytime soon. "What brings you here? I hope Matthew is doing alright after last night." I give him a slight smile.

"His hand is fractured, but it could've been alot worse if your little brother wasn't such a sadistic little psycho who likes his torture to be slow," Elijah chuckles lowly at her description. "Is Rebekah here?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"Yes, come in. I'll go get her for you." Elijah gestures for me to come inside.

"Do you mind if I go to the balcony to look for something?" Elijah nods his okay.

"Returning to the scene of the crime, are we?" Kol asks leaning against the staircase. I will stab you again.

"Kol, I suggest you not chastise our guest after your behavior last night," I smirk. Elijah turns to me. "I'll be back with Rebekah shortly." Instead of waiting for Rebekah alone with Kol, I find my way to the stairs.

"And what business do you have with my sister…Alexandra?" He appears next to me on the stairs. I don't need this bullshit.

I ignore his question. "Why are you following me?"

"Wouldn't want you get lost," He replies. "I hear I've gained a bit of a reputation already. How's the commoner doing?" He asks casually. I came here for Rebekah, and starting a fight with Kol might draw Niklaus' attention if he were here, and I didn't want that. I ball my fist up.


	14. Chapter 14

All My Children's Sins Have Caught Up to Them Part II

"Sorry about ruining your suit last night; you can send me the bill." I voice flippantly. I push open the doors to the balcony.

"You are a feisty little thing, aren't you?" He smiles. He quite liked that.

"And you look good falling four stories to the ground, don't you?" I say slyly.

"He got lucky," His eyes narrow into slits. "Don't expect it to happen again," He'd get the older Salvatore boy back for that. Looking around, I spot my inhaler next to a plant pot and quickly grab it. Klaus might've was decent enough to bring my purse, but I had a rough couple of nights without this particular one. "What is that?" I hear Kol ask curiously as he follows behind me.

"This is something I lost when you decided to go into overprotective big brother mode and crush Matt's hand." I glare at him. He shrugs his shoulders.

"My sister has never had good taste in men," Alexander had done more than leave a bitter taste in his mouth; he'd left a dagger and Kol was none to pleased. "Why should your commoner be any different?"

"You Mikaelson boys sure do like making an entrance." Elena had told me the first time she met Niklaus, he had taken over Uncle Ric's body and Elijah had shown up at her front door with Jenna after he was supposedly 'murdered' by Damon and Stefan after she was kidnapped by Rose and Trevor. Kol smirks.

"What can I say? We have a flair for the dramatics." He smiles mischievously.

"Touch Matt again, and you'll find out if Damon is the only one with luck on his side."

"You are a child," He wasn't going to sit idly by and let a child threaten him so causally, his Mother's rules be damned. "Do not goad me."

"You didn't watch my hips like I was a child." _Yeah_ , _I'd caught him staring._ He looks at me with an obviously pissed off look, before leaving me alone in the foyer. I decide I need some air and head back outside.

"I'm bored," Kol announces as he plops down in a chair. "Our sister is a dating a commoner, but at least she's having fun. I need entertainment."

"What are you waiting for? Go on, have at it." Klaus beckons Kol. He wasn't in a going out mood after how his awkward one-sided conversation with Lexx had gone the other night.

"It's not fun to go alone. Join me, Nik!" Kol paints a crestfallen look on his face. "It's the least you can do after sticking a dagger in my heart."

Klaus gives Kol a stare of annoyance before agreeing. "Okay, why not? I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night, what with you trying to murder Lexx's friend."

"Yes, please go, this house has enough men rolling around it in." Rebekah voices as she comes back into the room.

"Just like you, Bekah." Rebekah quickly zooms across the room and picks up a wood-knock from the shelf to throw at him.

"Good riddance, both of you!" Elijah enters the room, still holding the burnt sage.

"Rebekah."

"Not you too, Elijah." Rebekah says exasperatedly.

"I'm worried about Mother. Have you not noticed her strange behavior?"

"She's been dead for a thousand years. What's strange for her?"

"Burnt sage," Elijah shows Rebekah the sage and she takes it from him. "She was doing a privacy spell."

"You know she fancies such things. Why don't you ask Finn; he's been doting on her." She suggests.

"I don't trust, Finn. He hates what we are, he always has." Niklaus had gotten drunk with his power, Kol reveled in it, Rebekah had her moments of self-doubt, he used force when the situation called for it, but Finn had always despised the way they went against nature.

"That's not true. And as for Mother, she returned for one reason, to make our family whole. She loves us. What trouble are you looking to find?" She had thought her Mother dead and now that she was back, she wanted to make up for time lost.

"None, you're probably right," Maybe he was being overly cautious. "Alexandra is here to see you, she's waiting outside." Elijah leaves Rebekah to go confirm his suspicions. She walks to the front door and is met with Lexx leaning against a pillar.

"Did my brother do something again?" She asks once she sees me.

"No. I stopped by to thank you; Matt told me you compelled one of the doctors to give him a cast and a prescription for pain medicine once he leaves."

She shrugs, trying to downplay the act. "It was the least I could do after my brother nearly ended his football career."

"He's not happy about staying though. He said you didn't have to get a second opinion from a different doctor." I laugh. He had looked like a sad puppy when Carol said it was better if he stayed another night. It was the only thing Carol and I agreed on since I'd come back; she was his guardian after all and if he wanted her signature, he would have to wait for her okay.

"I just wanted to make sure he was alright, I felt responsible." She smiles bashfully. _Maybe I could be friends with you…_

"Well, thank you. I really appreciated it. If you wouldn't have compelled that doctor, I would've dragged him back to the hospital kicking and screaming and paid the bill myself."

"No problem." She replies smiling. She couldn't remember the last time someone had thanked her. I make my way to my car and open the door before turning to face Rebekah.

"Maybe we can be friends." Her eyes widens at my suggestion.

"And what about Elena?" She wasn't sure the doppelgänger would be so keen on the idea. I roll my eyes.

"She might think differently of you after I tell her what you did for Matt. I'll see you around." I turn over the engine and leave Rebekah smiling.

* * *

"He wasn't concerned, Bon. He might as well have been gloating, like he was proud of himself for knowing Elijah could be dead in a matter of days," Elena rubs her head. "Is it working?" Elena asks Caroline from outside her bedroom door. She swings the door open.

"It's not working. I can hear every word you're saying about Stefan, the unfeeling gloat."

"It's a tricky spell." Bonnie explains.

"When Esther did it, she kept the sage burning. There was a lot more smoke, remember?" Elena reminds her. Bonnie sighs.

"Alright," Bonnie relights the sage. "Try it again, Caroline."

Caroline scoffs and closes the door again. "Why do I have to be on door duty?" She turns when she hears footsteps coming up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" I ask coming up the stairs.

"Lexx," Care says to her confused face. "Where have you been?" She tried calling and texting, but her phone had went straight to voicemail.

"I got a text from Bonnie telling me to come here; what does she want?" I ask boredly.

"She's trying to recreate a spell Esther did last night." I lean against the rail staircase.

"Guess you haven't told 'em."

"Something came up."

"Mmh," I laugh. "Not surprised I don't know about it."

"Speaking of Esther, you should know that she came to see me and Abby this morning." I hear Bonnie say through the door. Caroline and I exchange looks before she swings Elena's door open.

"Bon, what did she want?" Care asks curiously.

"Why didn't you say something? Bon, I've been venting about Stefan this whole time when something this important was going on with you."

"I didn't want you guys to worry." She shrugs. Elena hated when she tried to minimize her problems.

"Bon, I should smack you right now." I say and can see Care nodding her head from my peripheral.

"Okay, well, what did she want?" Elena questions.

"She wanted to introduce herself to Abby. She's channeling our entire ancestral bloodline for power; I think she thought she was being polite." Bonnie rolls her eyes.

"Well, is there a way to stop her from channeling you?" Care asks anxiously.

"Even if there was, why would I want that?" Maybe Damon had been right.

"I just keep thinking. Before the sun and the moon ritual, Elijah found a way to keep me alive. And now I'm in the exact same position and I'm just gonna let him die? It just doesn't feel right." It didn't seem fair to Elijah.

"Okay, Elena, you are not doing this, Esther is." Care counters.

"As usual, I'm left out of the loop," I snap. "What are you talking about?" Bonnie stares at me warily before answering.

"Esther linked Klaus and the others to each other with Elena's blood."

"Okay," I say stunned. "Definitely missed out by not going to your meeting with Esther."

"There's no time to change your mind, Elena. He'll be dead in a week." _Well, damn._ Esther sure worked fast.

"But, Elijah helped keep you alive Elena, Rebekah made sure Matt got his hand taken care of." _I couldn't just let him die and I just told Rebekah we could be friends._

"Rebekah did that?" The news of her kind act left Elena feeling worse now that she knew she'd be dead in a week's time. "Wait, Bon, how can he be dead in a week?" Elena asks.

"It's a full moon. Esther needs to harness the energy of a celestial event. She asked me and Abby to join her."

"Bonnie..." Caroline voices. She didn't want her best friend in the cross hairs if something happened.

"Elijah has been a really big help since Niklaus came back, he even made sure the dinner party went off without Damon or Stefan getting killed." I voice to Bonnie.

"Klaus has done nothing but terrorize us and cause mayhem since he's been here."

"And there's no way this only effects Klaus?"

"I'm starting to think that Elijah being dead might a small price to pay if Klaus is gone." Bonnie says getting up from the bed and leaving us.

* * *

Damon enters the living room with two glasses of blood. "Join me for a little victory drink?" Damon asks Stefan.

"We should wait until Klaus is dead." Seven days had felt like an eternity, but here they were. Stefan wasn't celebrating until Klaus was dead.

"Why are you so extra broody? Don't you remember how we stood up to Elena, to Bonnie? I like you on my team. It must have driven her nuts." He takes a sip from his glass.

"You still think she's gonna screw this up, don't you?" Then again, Damon always felt that way when it concerned Elena and a plan.

"I think somebody needs to talk to her. She's not gonna listen to anything I say."

"Is it because you didn't answer any of her calls last week?" He heard the conversation between him and Bonnie.

"I was tired." He shrugs his shoulders causally.

"I can see why; you did dance with Bonnie for a while that night." Stefan states matter of factly. When he looked back to make sure Damon wasn't following them, he caught Damon smiling at Bonnie while he spinned her on the floor and pulled her back to him.

"Whatever. Now you can come in and sweep Elena off her feet."

"It might take sometime for me to forgive myself, but I know I can do it with, Elena." Stefan says steely.

"Great, you guys are on the fast track to being disgustingly back in love," Damon leaves a glass of blood for Stefan. "Just make sure she doesn't screw up Esther's plan."

Stefan looks at it for a minute, then turns away without touching it.

* * *

Elena is pacing her floor, thinking of calling Elijah. Could she damn the whole Mikaelson family to have Klaus out of their lives? She needed to find out by tonight since she'd used the other six days wrestling with her conscience.

"Maybe Bonnie is right." But she knows she's wrong; her conscience is eating at her. She finally grabs her keys and is about to head to Klaus house, when a knock comes from the door. Walking down stairs she answers it; Elijah is outside.

"Elena."

"Elijah." She answers slightly shocked.

"I don't mean to intrude," He says when he sees she has her car keys in her hand. "I was hoping you might accompany me. I want to show you something."

"Okay. Just let me get a jacket."

Elijah drives to the woods and waits for Elena to get out of a car and walk around.

"Forgot how much I missed this land."

"I can't even imagine what it must have been like a thousand years ago." Elena says looking around in wonder.

"You know, your school was built over an Indian village where I saw my first werewolf. The town square was where the natives would gather to worship. Matter of fact, near that, there was a field where wild horses use to graze."

"That's incredible." But she's out of it.

"Come."

"Do you know this place too?"

"I do. Below us is a cavern I use to play in as a boy. It connects to a system of tunnels that stretch across the entire area. Perhaps its nature's way-" Elena stops him abruptly.

"We were told that whatever was going to be in that coffin was going to kill Klaus. When we found out that it was your Mother…we didn't know what to think." She voices.

"I admire you Elena. You remind me of qualities I valued long before my Mother turned us. It's not in your nature to be deceitful, and yet when I asked about your meeting with my Mother the other night, you lied to my face."

"When she asked to see me, I…I thought that maybe she could help, that she would find a way to kill Klaus, but it's not just Klaus that she wants to kill." She says sadly.

"She wants to kill us all, doesn't she? She wants to undo the evil she created." He knew it wasn't just being paranoid.

"I'm so sorry, Elijah. I was on my way to come see you when you came. I just…I just wish there was something I could do to help."

"You can actually," Elijah breaks a hole into the ground. "Hold on." Grabbing Elena, he jumps down with her.

* * *

"I haven't seen Elena since this morning." Alaric says to Damon on the phone.

"She's not answering her phone." He sighs.

"Well, I'm surprised you have time to call me, since you weren't answering Elena's calls."

"Ugh…she told you?" He rolls eyes.

"She told me." He laughs.

"Did she also tell you that she's having an attack of conscience about this whole Original murder thing? She even brought the witch last week so they could tag team me and Stefan."

"Hey, listen, I'm not gonna judge either of them for having a conscience."

"Well, you don't have to judge Elena. Just tie her up and lock her in her room till this is over." Her track records with staying on the sidelines until she was called, was shit.

"Well, I wouldn't if I could and I can't because I'm busy." And he was cutting into his time.

"Busy doing what?" He didn't go out unless it was work or supernatural related.

"Don't worry about it." If he told him, he would ruin it.

"Are you with the sexy, psycho doctor?" He guesses.

"Goodbye, Damon," Alaric hangs up. "Sorry about that." He apologizes to Meredith.

"Does he still think I'm a serial killer?"

"He's a little judgmental." They laugh.

"Speaking of, your x-rays were inconclusive. Your knife wound was already semi-healed. It's impossible to tell anything about whoever stabbed you; short, tall, left-handed, right-handed; no clue."

"Well, what about my head?" He asks. "Why can't I remember anything about the attack?" He questions.

"Your CT scans were clear. Maybe you were compelled to forget." She voices.

"Wait, you think the killer's a…a vampire?" He whispers so no one at the bar hears.

"There are no other suspects. It's the obvious conclusion." She speaks, just as Kol and Klaus walk up to the bar.

"Oh, come on now. Let's not go blaming the new family in town, just because you lot have got yourselves a killer at large. Don't mind us. My brother and I are just here to let off some steam, right Kol?"

"Right." He agrees, staring at Meredith.

* * *

"Do you have Matt's number?" Damon asks Stefan suddenly.

"Yeah," Damon frowns his face up. "What?"

"You have your girlfriend's, ex-boyfriend's number?" That was weird.

"Damon you just asked for it."

"Just hand it over," Damon dials the numbers as Stefan rattles them off. "Matt, it's Damon, I need you to do something for me."

"As long has it doesn't get me killed," Matt was cautious when it came to plans where Damon was involved. "What do you need?"

* * *

"Kid, where are you?" Damon asks once I answer my phone.

"I'm on my way to the Grill, Matt called and asked if I could cover his shift and I since bailed lasted time, I owed him." I reply coldly. So she was still mad.

"Good, then you can tell Alaric I said 'hello' since I'm pretty sure he's on a date with psycho doctor." That gets my attention.

"Why would I care, Damon?" I ask weakly.

"I know you trust her has much as I do." He states. I'd just come to that conclusion this morning, so how did he know?

"Okay, but that's because she knocked you out and made you a blood donor without your consent," I joke, but I'm met with silence and decide to stop playing dumb. "I don't trust her, but maybe that's because I haven't tried giving her a chance because I'm only finding out now that Jenna is dead. I can't expect him to mourn her forever because I don't can't accept she's gone." I voice sadly.

Damon sighs. When did she find out? He remembered everyone agreeing it'd be better if she didn't know. He bet it was Jeremy. "Lexx, him moving on doesn't mean he's gonna forget about, Jenna," He pauses."But that doesn't mean you can't look out for him. Do it for, Jenna." And with that, he delivers the final blow.

"Are you sure this isn't Stefan?" Sympathetic was more Stefan's style, but Damon's style had been evolving since he met Bonnie.

"Say 'hi' to Ric for me!" He hangs up the phone.

* * *

"Who's the creepy, lurky guy?" Abby asks Bonnie when she sees Finn.

"Esther's son, Finn, he's a vampire so…" Bonnie points to her ear, Abby nods understandingly.

"Wonder what your Grams thinks about the part we're playing in all of this balance of nature stuff." It was strange knowing her Mom was dead; she was always so full of warmth, vivacious, compassionate, slightly eccentric, but that 'comes with the territory as you get older' her Mom liked to say. She had a presence that demanded attention, but wasn't overbearing; even without magic she still would've been captivating.

"She's probably on the other side, screaming about getting involved with vampire business." Bonnie responds.

"Bennett witches. Thank you for coming. I can think of no better allies than the woman who sent Mikael into his long sleep and the girl who fought Niklaus so bravely." Esther boasts.

"Why exactly did you invite us here?" Abby asks. From what Bonnie had told her, she was strong, so what did she need from them?

"You are the descendants of the witch, Ayana. She was a great mentor of mine and I think it's only fitting that I draw from her bloodline."

"So you're channeling our ancestors?" Bonnie inquires.

"I draw from the entirety of the Bennett bloodline, living and dead. The connection affords me great power, although it is somewhat difficult to maintain, which is why I require you; Mother and daughter. The bloodline made manifest," Esther grabs Bonnie and Abby's hand. "Tonight, my sisters, we shall bring peace to the spirits of nature that we serve and for that I thank you." Bonnie wasn't sure if she believed the whole servant of nature spiel Esther was trying to sell her, but if ended with a dead Klaus at the end of the tunnel, she could deal with Esther's sisterhood crap .


	15. Chapter 15

Sprite is a Coke-Cola company and not owned by me and Lifetime movies aren't mine either!

Lexx is good waitress.

* * *

All My Children's Sins Have Caught Up to Them Part III

"I can't find her anywhere." Stefan says, throwing the front door to the Salvatore's house open. Walking into the living room, he sees Elijah sitting by the fire while Damon stands a few feet away.

"Hello, Stefan." Elijah greets.

"He has Elena." Damon expresses grimly. He knew she would find someway to ruin this and Bonnie probably had a hand in this too. Damn that witch and her sense of morality.

"Actually, she's with Rebekah," Elijah clarifies. "As you can imagine, my sister is just dying to tear her throat out. So…if you want to save Elena's life, I need you to help me stop my Mother."

"I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but when it comes to killing thousand year old resurrected witches, I'm a little rusty." Damon says coyly.

"Yes, unfortunately, even when killed, my Mother doesn't seem to want to stay dead. Not with the spirits of nature at her side." He was truly surprised by her preservation; she stayed alive just to murder him and his siblings.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Stefan questions has he steps down the steps and closer to Elijah. He was anxious to get Elena away from Rebekah and back in the safety of his arms.

"The witches that released my Mother, she's drawing her power from their bloodline that line needs to be broken."

"Broken?" Stefan echoes. Break what exactly?

"Yeah, he means." Damon makes a cutting motion with his finger over his neck. Bonnie wasn't dying to save Elijah and family. His Mother wanting them dead had nothing to with Bonnie or the strained relationship with her Mom she was trying to work on.

"You want us to kill them." He states, slightly shocked at the explanation. Stefan knew Damon wasn't about to let Bonnie die and he wasn't either.

"You know I'd do it myself, but I have absolutely no idea where they are. Besides, seeing me, they'd immediately know my intent, they won't expect to be harmed by the likes of you. In any case, you have until six minutes after nine to find them." Elijah was nothing if not precise whenever he executed a plan.

Damon barley resists rolling his eyes. "Oh, how super specific of you."

"By nine o' seven, the moon will be full. My Mother will have the power she needs to kill me and my family, if you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena. So we all have our timeline? I suggest you get started." He leaves, bumping into Stefan's shoulder on the way out.

* * *

"Alright, love, now look into the camera." Rebekah orders Elena.

"What are you doing?" Elena asks tiredly. She had been down in the caverns for what she guessed was a few hours, with no cell reception, and Rebekah wasn't making the experience any more bearable.

"Making a video to inspire your boyfriends. Why don't you tell them how delightful it is being stuck in a hole with your biggest fan?" Rebekah commands.

"I came here to help, no need to taunt me Rebekah."

"You know, I don't know what I want more, to find out we're saved or keep you here a while longer like a perfect little hostage. You're lucky, Elijah didn't give me permission to kill you." While Elijah had made Rebekah promise not to kill Elena, he'd said he'd tell Stefan and Damon different to make sure they'd find a way to undo the spell.

"I wanted to get rid of Klaus. At one point, so did you. I didn't know that your Mom was planning on killing all of you when I went to meet her. I was on my way to go see Elijah when he came to get me. I'm sorry, Rebekah." Elena apologizes.

"Do you think I want to spend what could be the last few hours of my life, having idle chit-chat with a girl who literally stabbed me in the back? Of course not! So, why don't you sit down and shut up, before I ruin everything by ripping your head off." She threatens. So much for that friendship Lexx had mentioned.

* * *

Elena had been trying to get a signal on her phone for a while, when she finally got a bar. Before she can send a message, she hears Rebekah footsteps echoing off the walls.

"You'll be able to leave in a little while; Elijah figured out a way to break the spell." Rebekah voices.

"That's good," Elena gives a sigh of relief. "What is it?" Her face looked pensive.

"To break the spell, the bond has to be broken." That made sense, but why did she look so mournful?

"And what does that mean?"

"One of the Bennett witches has to die," She pauses. "I'm sorry, Elena." Rebekah apologizes and walks away. It takes Elena a moment to comprehend what Rebekah has just told her.

"No," Elena voices. "I'm not letting Bonnie lose anyone else because me. I gotta text Lexx, she can warn Bonnie." Elena knew Lexx was her best chance at keeping Bonnie safe. "I just gotta find the signal again." Raising the phone up, Elena tries getting the bar back and by some miracle, she gets it. "I hope you get this in time, Lexx."

 _To Lexx: The spell can be broken if Bonnie or Abby dies; we can't let that happen._

* * *

Once I find a parking spot across the Grill, I start having second thoughts. Uncle Ric would be so pissed if I ruined his date, his first real date since Jenna died, but I couldn't let go of the fact that I didn't trust Meredith. Besides, I needed something to distract from this Elijah thing. Maybe I had been hanging around Elena too long; my conscience was gnawing at me. And speaking of Elena, she hadn't been answering her phone. My phone rings. Looking over, I see it's Care.

"Are you there yet?"

"Almost," She was floored when Lexx had called her late yesterday morning. "Are you sure Bonnie won't be mad, that Elena won't?" Care asks unconvinced.

"Knowing Elena, she probably went to tell Elijah about the spell and since we don't know how he's gonna react, we need a backup plan."

"I know you're right, but I feel like we're going behind their backs." She didn't like it. I try reasoning with her.

"Caroline, if something happens to Bonnie or Elena, we're gonna feel a helluva lot worse."

Caroline sighs. "I'll text you when I get there." She hangs up. My phone sounds of again, signaling a text message; it's from Elena.

"It's probably a SOS," I roll my eyes. "The spell can be broken if Bonnie or Abby dies, we can't let that happen." Yeah, I hate it when I'm right. _But I wasn't gonna let Bonnie lose someone else._ My phone sounds again; it's Damon and he probably had more bad news.

"We have a problem." Told ya. _When did we not though...?_

"What now, Damon, are your Alaric senses tingling?"

"Bonnie's in trouble." _Had Elena told him about Bonnie?_ I couldn't be sure, but if my plan was gonna work, and I didn't want Damon ruining it, I would have to play dumb.

"What kind of trouble?" I ask with false curiosity. And it hadn't escaped me that he called her 'Bonnie', not 'witch'. _Focus, Lexx!_

"Elijah has Elena, he knows about the spell," Elena hadn't mentioned that; did she go with him willingly? "He said the only way to break it was to kill Bonnie or Abby. Clock's ticking. You gonna help me brainstorm a plan or are you too busy fixing yourself a snack, Stefan?" Safe to assume he was referring to a blood bag.

"We need to call, Bonnie. There's got to be a way for her to stop Esther from channeling all that power." I hear Stefan say.

"A. What if Bonnie's with Esther? B. What if Bonnie can't cut her off? C. I don't know how any of this stuff works and D. Neither do you."

"You got a plan, Lexx?" Stefan asks.

"I can't think of anything." I answer while texting Caroline and replying to Elena. _To Elena: I've got a plan, don't worry._

"Well, thanks for sharing with the class," I can hear him rolling his eyes. "Worst case scenario, you can't draw power if your battery doesn't have any juice."

"Kill them." I hear Stefan voice grimly. _Kill?_ Nobody was dying!

"Damon, Bonnie isn't a battery, she's one of my best friends. It's not an option!" What the hell was he even saying?

"I know that," He answer fiercely. "Look, I'll you call back when I have something," Hanging up the phone, Damon turns to Stefan. "What if I told you I had a plan, a less diabolical one?"

"Like what, Damon?" He pulls a dagger out. "You wanna dagger Elijah."

"They're all linked, one goes down, they all go. Bonnie and Abby live, Elena's safe, problem solved."

"We don't know if that'll affect Klaus, I don't wanna risk Bonnie getting hurt." Damon sighs and tries to distract himself with the other elephant in the room he and Stefan haven't brought up yet.

"Ironically, Klaus isn't our current problem."

"Dagger is lethal to any vampire who uses it." Stefan states.

"Well, I just so happen to know someone crazy enough to give it a shot and I'm gonna need Lexx's help to get it done," Damon replies. Calling Lexx, he waits for her to pick up. "You there yet?"

"Damon, that was an hour ago when I said I was going to the Grill." I answer confused.

"Good. Try not to make it obvious you're spying to on his date. I'll call back when we have the plan fully mapped out."

"I'm not here to spy, I'm here to bust tables." I reply coyly as Damon laughs. I hang up the phone.

"Uh, Damon…" Stefan trails off. "How is Lexx gonna help, if she doesn't know the plan?"

"The same way she did when we had dinner with Klaus. By going with the flow," He replies. "I'll call Ric and catch him up," Damon quickly calls Alaric. "You still at the Grill?"

"How did-never mind, Klaus is here and he bought Kol with him." Alaric finishes.

"They're still there?"

"Yeah, they're still here and they've drank their way through half the Grill's liquor supply."

"Good. It'll be easier if they're wasted."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Divide and conquer. First, we need to make sure your table is taken care of," Alaric sees Lexx enter through the kitchen double doors carrying a waste bin with a apron tied around her waist. "Before you say anything, just know Lexx is our best chance at this going well. She doesn't know she's apart of the plan, so keep it that way."

"If she gets hurt, I will drench you in vervain and leave you out in the sun to dry." Alaric threatens, hanging up.

Okay, time to put on my game face. "Hey, Uncle Ric, Meredith." I greet with false surprise.

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" Alaric asks, pulling me into a hug.

"We're short staffed, I owned Matt. I didn't know you guys were here." _Lies, I knew._

"Yeah, we're on a date and I'm currently beating him at pool." Meredith chimes in.

"I would say he's letting you win, but not likely," I laugh. "How about I show you how it's done after I get off?" I ask Meredith, she nods her head. She had the potential to be likable.

"Okay, enough joking at my expense. Waitress, can you get us a refill?" Alaric asks, purposely sending Lexx to the bar. "Don't worry, it's just Sprite." I take the glasses and head towards the bar. Kol spots Lexx coming first.

"I remember her from when she stopped by the house," Klaus gives Kol a confused look. "She's feisty."

"She stopped by the house? What for?" Klaus asks, not taking his eyes off Lexx. If he knew she were there, he would've talked to her.

"If you weren't so engrossed in whatever you were drawing, you would've known," He'd been drawing a horse, with his mind drifting back to the conversation he had with Caroline while they were next to the carriage. "Something to do with Rebekah, probably that commoner, but she did look like a tasty little thing." He saw she was still wearing the tight jeans from this afternoon.

"Just because you're already dead, doesn't mean you still don't need your tongue, Kol," Klaus threatens. "Lexx!" Niklaus calls out as I almost pass by him. _Yet another problem; yay._

"If it isn't the pair of psychotic Mikaelson boys." I sigh at Niklaus and Kol. What were they even doing here?

"Join us for a drink?" Niklaus asks tentatively while Kol tips his glass towards me. The last time he had alcohol in his hand, he had convinced himself I had feelings for him, so no telling what would happen this time around. _I'd rather get tied up to a post again._

"I think I've seen enough of you two in the last week," I turn away from them. If I were being honest, I needed space; knowing that Klaus could tell me he had 'feelings' for me when Jenna's blood was on his hands, made me livid. I hand the glasses back to Uncle Ric. "Sorry, Meredith. I'll have to take a rain-check on pool," I walk to where Sarah is. "I'm taking my break." She nods her head.

"Such a spitfire that Alexandra." Kol voices has he laughs.

"Striking." Klaus says in awe.

"She's a far cry from Tatia," Kol observes. Tatia had ivory skin, waist length brown hair and brown doe eyes to match her soft-spoken nature. She'd been nice and sweet, up until the point she nearly ripped his brothers apart because she was fond of them both. "Didn't know you liked the fiery type, Nik."

"Times change." He answers simply. His eyes travel to the door where Lexx exited a moment ago.

"From what I've seen, yes they do, but are you gonna let her get away that easily? I expected more of a show from you." Kol teases.

"Not a chance." Finishing his drink, he follows after her. Kol was curious as to how this would play out.

* * *

Pulling up to the house, Caroline parks her car and gets out, when her phone goes off. It's a text from Lexx _. From Lexx: The spell can be broken if Bonnie or Abby dies._ Picking up her pace, she hurries to knock on the front the door, a boy opens it.

"Caroline!" The boy yells. Caroline gives him a smile.

"Hey, Jeremy."

"What are you doing here? Come in." He smiles, inviting her in.

"I came to check on you for Elena."

"She didn't mention anything when I talked to her last night," He closes the door. "Do you want something to drink?"

"She probably didn't want to seem like an overbearing big sister," She covers. "And water will be fine."

"I understand why she would miss me; I've never been away from home for so long," Jeremy says, handing Caroline a glass of water and taking a seat on the sofa. "So, what have I missed?"

* * *

"Lexx!" Niklaus calls after me, almost running into a couple on the crowded sidewalk.

"What are you doing?" I'm halfway to my car when I stop walking to turn to him. "Just go back inside and have another drink." _Could be your last one._ Turning back around, I start walking again.

"You still can't be upset about Matthew." He sighs. Matt was the least of his problems.

"One. Kol crushing Matt's hand is not the only thing I'm pissed about, Two. Go away, and Three. Leave me alone. "

"I had no hand-" I give him a miffed expression. "Wrong choice of words, but I didn't play a part in his getting hurt." I whirl around to face him.

"No, but Tyler not being here right now is because of you! His girlfriend misses him, he has schoolwork that's piling up, Matt can't see his best friend, and his Mom doesn't even know where he is," I was starting to feel that all too familiar feeling of being drained. "Why don't you go back to figuring out how many times a year you're gonna have Elena donate to her local hybrid or better yet, go and impale yourself on a dagger." I say lowly. I pivot on my sneakers, but he's still following me. I put the key into the car key hole and have my fingers on the handle to open it, when Niklaus shoots a hand out to stop me.

"Have a conversation with me before you write me off completely." He leans against the the car door. I eye him skeptically.

"Consider yourself crossed off the list." I reply, trying to get around him to the handle, but he blocks me.

"Oh, come on," I had never seen this side of him before. He smiles mischievously. "If you don't like what you hear, you can leave." He reminded me of a little kid right now. This was perfect; he thought he could use this opportunity to flirt with me and I was gonna use it to watch his face plummet as I tore the idea of an him and me apart.

"Alright," I sigh, walking to the front of the car and sitting on the hood. He follows suit and sits beside me. Well, this was awkward. He was just staring at me and I didn't know what we were supposed to talk about. He was giving me his undivided attention. I look at him expectantly. "My break doesn't last all night." I voice.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard plenty about me in the last couple of weeks, so I wanna hear about you. Your dreams, places you want to travel, things you want to accomplish." He stares at me intensely and his eyes have a look that say if my dreams are unattainable, he'll get them for me.

I didn't know we were gonna play twenty questions. "I wanna keep my friends and everyone else in Mystic Falls safe from the things that go bump in the night and that's all you're gonna get from me for the 'getting to know me' portion of your plan." I get it; I'm a teenager, so I'm full of hormones, but I wasn't falling for this. I'd seen Lifetime movies growing up!

"There you go again being frank with me," He replies. "I like when you do that." _There was that word…_

"You say that, but you miss something that's a big part of me."

"And what might that be?" He asks, still watching me intently.

"I'm good; I like helping people, keeping them safe. I like being a good guy and you're not. So whatever it is that you're feeling, forget about it, the feelings aren't mutual and Tyler doesn't appreciate being sired to you." I raise my left eyebrow sassily.

"Why don't you tell me what would have to happen for there to be a chance of an us?" His gaze was still focused on me.

"First off, don't place me in a sentence with you in a romantic sense, second, I would have to stop wishing for your death," And I wasn't, hell I was planning it. "Third, I would have to trust you with my friends, with keeping Mystic Falls safe. You would have stop trying to kill Elena so you can have this army of mindless hybrids, let Tyler go," I can't imagine it was fun having your girlfriend's Dad see you naked every time you turned into a creature of the night. "And Elena, Jeremy, Ric, and everyone else would have to forgive you for killing Jenna." I feel my eyes swell with unshed tears.

"I take it you didn't know?" He assumed she had known already. He turns his focus to the park bench across the street. I laugh bitterly as I shake my head.

"This is what I mean; you take people I care about away from me and you think I would want you to be my _boyfriend_." I sneer. He turns back to me.

"And let's say I do stop going after, Elena, that all of them forgive me, do you think if you and I," I hated the sound of those words leaving his mouth. "Were to happen, you think you wouldn't be able to trust me with the safety of Mystic Falls and your friends?"

"You had Tony compel paramedics to leave so my Uncle could die, had Bonnie kidnapped, and you were very convincing when you told everyone at the dinner table that leaving Elena to live whatever life she wanted, wasn't an option for her," I pause. "I'm sure I'll never trust you."

"That was because they were standing in the way of what I needed." He needed his curse broken and accepted that a few causalities would have to happen to reach his goal. He planned meticulously and checked for loopholes, made sure he double checked every line of the curse so no one could catch him off guard. And yet, here was this girl who'd ripped the rug out from under him.

"You're gonna use that to rationalize everything that you do, Niklaus. One of two things happens; either darkness snuffs out the light or light overcomes darkness."

* * *

 **A/N** : Tell me if you guys liked how I wrote Kol; he wasn't in alot of TVD episodes, so it was a little hard to grasp his character and there's no way I wanna watch an episode of 'The Originals', since they're so different then how they were on TVD.


	16. Chapter 16

Musical inspiration: Afraid - The Neighbourhood

* * *

All My Children's Sins Have Caught Up to Them Part IV

Finn is lighting torches around a pentagram.

"The pentagram represents our connection to magic. The salt is a symbol of the Earth." Esther explains.

"And the torches?" Abby gestures to the five that stand at each end of the pentagram.

"Five torches, one for each of my children."

"What's the spell you're doing?" Bonnie questions.

"As the witch who cast the spell that made them vampires, I can also reverse it. When they become human again, they can be killed. As they are linked as one, my brave Finn will be the sacrifice. With his death, will come theirs."

"And you're just willing to die?" Abby asks Finn skeptically. Klaus had found her and compelled Jamie to kill himself so he could get his coffins back and live in peace with his family. It was strange that he was would voluntarily go along with the spell and undo all of Klaus' work.

"My Mother has released me from an eternity of shame," How could he live knowing that his every existence went against nature. He watched people die in wars and from diseases, and he could do nothing to stop it; what if he healed them and they died? They could turn into Niklaus and never come down from the power high. "It's not a sacrifice, it's a gift." Finn explains.

* * *

Kol is watching Meredith play pool, but decides to talk to Alaric farther down the bar.

"So, Alexandra is your niece?" Kol asks curiously.

"None of your business." Alaric answers, taking a sip from his drink.

"Let's try that again. I'm, Kol."

"Still none of your business…Kol."

"Do you have any other nieces that look like that?" He questions. This time Alaric doesn't gonna talk, so he tries a different tactic. He leaves him at the bar and goes to talk to Meredith by the pool table. He picks up a cue stick. "A woman of your caliber ought to choose more suitable company. What's your name, love?" Kol asks, leaning down next to Meredith.

"None of your business." She goes to other side of the table to line up her next shot.

"I'm Kol."

"Why don't you get lost, Kol?" She lands the ball into the socket.

"And why would I do that? I like pretty little things with sharp tongues." He reaches forward to touch her face, she slaps his hand away and Alaric appears.

"I'm pretty sure she told you to get lost."

"I'm pretty sure I don't care." Kol turns around to face Alaric, when he stabs him with the dagger. Kol falls into Alaric, he catches him.

"Next time, mind your business."

* * *

Elena was still wondering if Lexx had gotten her text; she didn't want to think about what could happen to Bonnie if she didn't. Her phone vibrating brings her out of her thoughts. It was a message from, Lexx! _To Elena: I've got a plan, don't worry._

"Thank God." Elena whispers.

"Won't be soon before you can go back to your life where everybody seems to want to bend over backwards to save your life." Rebekah voices, coming farther into the cave.

"Lexx told me what you did for Matt. Thank you. He has a habit of forgetting to take care of himself." Elena thanks her.

"It was my brother's fault, so-" She suddenly collapses.

"Rebekah!" Elena shouts, rushing to her. "Is Lexx doing this?"

Across town, Esther is about to began the ritual, when Finn's body drops to the ground.

"Something's wrong." Esther voices.

"What do you mean?" Abby asks. "If that's not apart of the spell, then what's happening?" Esther had laid out the plan clear and simple; she and Bonnie were suppose to show up, let Esther borrow some of their magic to do the spell, and then Klaus and the rest of his siblings would be dead.

"Something's blocking the connection." She walks over to Finn to see he's still breathing.

"Bonnie, go inside," Abby sees she hasn't moved. "NOW! I'm not letting you get hurt," Bonnie eyes widens in shock. She mutely nods her head before walking in the direction of the Old Witches house. "If my daughter gets hurt, whoever's blocking that spell won't be your only problem." Abby promises before following behind Bonnie.

* * *

"Alexandra," I felt a speech coming on. "Everyone is created with both dark and light in them. You can't tell me you truly believe you're made up of only one, of light?" He questions. He didn't believe that to be true. He'd been good once too.

"It's not easy killing someone." The first time I'd killed a vampire, was the night John set off the Gilbert device. You never forget the sound of the stake piercing the skin and the grey streaks that follows as they're bodies succumb to death after the point of the stake makes contact with the heart. Ironically, I'd killed the vampire that killed Richard Lockwood.

"It doesn't matter if they're a vampire. They were still someone's friend, girlfriend, a son, but if they start killing people, that's not important to me anymore. Sometimes I have dig down to a dark place to get strength, sometimes I need the darkness to get things done. So, no, Niklaus. I don't think I'm made up of only light, not completely."

"And I'm the same," He knew they were more alike than she let on. "The darkness is needed to get things done, to get what you want." He was happily falling for the girl with chestnut skin, brown almond shaped eyes, a sharp tongue, a caring heart, and fiery eyes that matched a storm.

"And how long before you're consumed by it?" Damon had been down so deep when he came to Mystic Falls; he'd been off the rails long before I met him, and Stefan had been trying to get through to him and it didn't work. In the end, Elena's compassion had gotten through to him and having me not assuming the worst of him liked he had come to expect, had helped a little too. Or so I liked to think, but damn if it hadn't taken months before his head broke through to the surface.

"And if I'm not made up of only light, then you can't tell me you were always filled with darkness, Niklaus," I try searching his eyes, but he looks away. "I don't believe that." It seemed like he and Damon had a lot in common when it came to Dads and their reasoning for things. _Maybe they could have the same thing in common when it came to being on the good side._

"I don't think the light can reach me, love." He states, looking down at his lap.

"You've been cornering me the last few weeks. If you're lucky, maybe some of my light will trickle down to where you are." I suggest. Not sure what good that would do him; as soon has I found someone who could get the Moonstone without causing Klaus to get suspicious, I would make sure he had no chance of resurfacing. He laughs.

"And once it trickles down?" Was there a possibility of him having a chance?

"I still won't wanna be you, Jenna will be dead, Tyler still sired to you, and Elena and Stefan's relationship on the mend 'cause you wanted your old drinking buddy back." He mulls this over before responding.

"Maybe." He answers before standing up suddenly and putting his hand on his chest.

"Klaus," I get up from the hood of the car and cover the short distance as I reach him. "What's wrong?" Was this apart of the spell Bonnie and Abby were doing? _I thought I had more time._ He looks up at me.

"What did you do?" He asks accusingly. I feel my face scrunch up in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" He grabs my arms, tightening his grip.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!" He yells. I try breaking his grip, but it's useless.

"Niklaus," I start off calmly. "I've been here with you the whole time. Let go." He suddenly releases my arms and looks back at the Grill.

"Kol." Then he speeds off. _What the hell just...dammit._

"If Bonnie gets hurt because Damon wanted to be reckless, I'm gonna let Caroline stake him." I run back across the street to the Grill.

* * *

Alaric is dragging Kol into an alleyway, where Stefan and Damon are waiting for him.

"Here, grab him!" Alaric grunts, carrying Kol's body.

"Tell your sexy doctor, good work." Klaus suddenly appears, undaggers Kol and knocks Alaric against the wall. Stefan tries to attack Klaus but Klaus knocks him into the stairs.

"I should have killed you months ago." Klaus says, standing across from Damon.

"Do it," He was needed to stop the spell. "It's not going to stop Esther from killing you." What was he going on about?

"What did you say about my Mother?" He should've known she was up to something, that she still saw him as a monster who needed to be exterminated. He was so quick to believe she wanted to make up for her wrong doings.

"You didn't know I was friends with your Mummy?" He mocks. "Yeah, we have a lot in common; she hates you as much as I do." Lexx comes rushing towards them, stopping at the top of the stairs.

"What did you do, Damon?" I ask, slightly out of breath.

"What needed to be done to save Bonnie and Elena." He'd put Bonnie's name first. _If he got out of this alive, he was gonna spill._

"I remember you saying you'd call be when you came up with something. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be wearing long sleeved shirts at cheer practice for the next couple of weeks because of you." I could already feel the bruises forming.

"What did you do her?" Damon yells, pushing Klaus.

"Far worse than what I'm about to do to you." Klaus has his hand wrapped around Damon's throat, choking him.

"Klaus, don't." I whisper weakly.

"He just tried to kill me, Alexandra. I have no more patience." _You act like this was the first time he'd tried to kill you._

"I might have a plan, just…give me time, okay?" I beg him, but he still doesn't loosen his grip. "Niklaus, please." He turns to look at me, his eyes softening, when Elijah appears beside me at the top of the stairs.

"Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus." I rush down the stairs to Damon, making sure he's okay.

"What good is a plan if you get hurt, Damon?" He has he's hand on his neck, trying to ease the pain.

"What did Mother do? What did she do, Elijah?" Elijah walks towards Stefan, holding a phone.

"You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now." _If Elena could hear this…_

Damon looks up at the town tower. "You told me we had until after nine."

"Why is nine so important to you?" I help Damon up from the ground.

"That's when the moon rises." Stefan answers, bringing Alaric to his feet.

"I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early." I feel my phone vibrate. _From Care: He's in_ , _just tell me when it's time._ Now it was my turn.

"I might know where they are." Five sets of eyes stare back at me.

"Then I suggest you tell me." Elijah threatens.

"I get you're pressed for time, but don't threaten me," The ball was in my court now, today was turning out to be shit, and if he tempted me, I'd purposely get a foul. "You wouldn't be here if you had followed through on your part after Bonnie did her spell." Seemed he needed to be reminded of why this was happening in the first place.

"Alexandra," His voice takes on a warning tone. "Don't make the provoked side of me make an appearance." They were running short on time and he rather not waste any on making Alexandra comply; he wouldn't dare lay hands on a woman, but Alaric and Damon were a different story.

"Right," I give a low wry chuckle. "Is this the emotional provoked you that gets upset that an eighteen year old girl runs away because she's overheard your brother is going to kill her or the intellectual who can't tell the sharp edge of a dagger apart from the sly lies that leaves the mouth of said brother?" I smirk. Elijah has me pressed against the wall of the Grill with his hands firmly on my arms in a blur of speed. I press my head against the wall as I laugh a bit deliriously.

"Lexx..." Stefan trails off, frozen in his spot. He didn't like seeing what he must've looked like with his switch off from the other side of the glass. It was like Lexx didn't fear anything, least of all an Original who could compel him to kill Alaric and make her watch. When he heard Lexx mention Jenna over the phone, he knew she needed time to grieve, time to go through the five stages, but he didn't expect her to lose her usual calm and become so consumed by her anger that she started acting reckless. Had keeping Jenna a secret caused Lexx to start unraveling?

"What are you doing?" Alaric questions. He didn't recognize the girl standing a few feet away from him. Did she always taunt death like it was a newborn baby with no means to defend itself? What was causing her to act like this? This version of Lexx startled him. But not Klaus. He was grossly intrigued by this side of Lexx. He had a front row seat to the darkness they had talked about mere minutes ago at play. The same girl who pleaded with him to spare Damon's life was now gibing his brother and she could give him a run for his money.

Elijah is rendered speechless; no one had ever spoken to him like this, least of all a human he barely knew. He wasn't aware if he couldn't speak because he was stupefied by her words or the sheer boldness of her statement. "Do not concern yourself with things you know nothing about." Elijah finally voices.

"Oh? I know both are a double-edge sword that got you ran through. I can consed," I mock. "I know to do like Niklaus and look out for myself." I smirk devilishly at him. Oh, no. Niklaus' interest was extremely piqued.

"I believe you would would Alexandra, but not at the extent of Elena's life." This Alexandra was teetering on the edge of emotional detachment. She reminded him of vampire with their switch off. He would of swore it was it was off if not for witnessing her plead for Damon's life moments ago.

"You know she's already stabbed herself once," His mind flashes back to when Elena plunged a knife through her abdomen to broker a new deal after Alaric and Damon had tried and failed, to kill him. "Only difference is, I have the knife this time." He had no doubt she would she would puncture the skin. He gives a short, wry laugh before nodding. Elijah had said Elena had surrounded herself with like-minded people. He removes his hands and gestures in front of me as if to say 'go ahead'.

"Then please, lead the way Alexandra." That was better.

"Noble as always." I laugh lowly.

"I'll go with you guys." Ric says, leaning against Stefan for support.

"I'm pretty sure you have a concussion," He looked like he got hit pretty hard. "Stay here and have Meredith check you over." Klaus was in reverence at how Alexandra's demeanor could shift from a algid winter to a sunlit summer.

"Lexx…" He didn't like leaving her alone, especially with the way she was acting.

"You're wasting time Bonnie and Elena don't have, Uncle Ric." Sighing, he relents.

"Just be safe, kid." He couldn't lose anyone else. And he really needed to tell her about Jenna.

"I'll be fine. I'll be there long enough to show them the way and Damon's gonna be there." From the corner of my eye, I see Niklaus ball up his fists. He needed to shut that down.

* * *

Rebekah regains consciousness and hears Elena yelling her name. "You're hurting my ears."

"You're awake." Elena sighs, helping her sit up.

"What happened?" She felt like death.

"You just fainted, are you okay?"

"Not sure why I'm feeling under the weather; must be your boys trying to find a loophole."

"Sorry about that." And Rebekah can tell she means it.

"You're incredibly annoying." She rolls her eyes.

* * *

Damon and Stefan pull up into the woods in Damon's car. "So how do we know they're going to be at the Old Witch house?" Damon asks. Lexx's hunch was a bit of a long shot, but it was all they had. Stefan sighs.

"We don't. But if they're not, then we have about ten minutes until Rebekah tears Elena apart." And long shot or not, he wan't losing Elena when he had only just got her back.

"You know, if we sit this out, Esther completes her spell, Klaus dies, you get your revenge. It's what you wanted the whole time. The only collateral damage is…" Damon knew Stefan wouldn't be okay with it.

"Elena." He finishes.

"You know what she'd choose." Damon states.

"She'd let herself be killed to save Bonnie and Abby." His girl was a martyr.

"Yep," Damon pops the 'p'. "And if Lexx's plan doesn't work, then the backup is to turn Abby." Damon might not know how to take down an Original witch, but he knew you couldn't be a vampire and a witch. Nature didn't like unbalance. Somewhere Rebekah was laughing.

"Hmm. If we do this, and it doesn't work, it'll wreck Bonnie. It'll wreck Elena too." If Damon were honest, he was tired of Bonnie losing someone or having a good thing ripped from her. But he wasn't being honest, he was being logical and that didn't have place for his feel-he didn't have feelings for Bonnie Bennett. He needed his local town witch alive and not being wrecked with guilt over a situation she couldn't control. And that was it...wasn't it?

"Well, they'll hate us. Thing is, only one of them has to hate one of us. Only one of us has to do the actual deed." Stefan would play along until Damon accepted his feelings for Bonnie and be there when he wanted to talk about it. Who was he kidding, _Lexx_ and him would be there.

"So, who's it gonna be, brother?" Damon pulls out a coin.

"Heads I do it, tails you do it."

"Awful lot of effort for someone who claims not to care about Bonnie."

* * *

 **A/N:** Damon's about to come to some revelations about Bonnie come the next chapter. Wonder what they'll be.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Did anybody see Wonder Woman this past week? Definitely worth waiting for it to hit the big screen since '95! Diana was a trifecta of badass warrior, cinnamon roll who wants to save the world, and a blunt delivery of lines that were always funny but never came across as trying to hard. Enough fangirling over WW and on with the show.

* * *

All My Children's Sins Have Caught Up to Them Part V

"This place has some serious vibe in it." Abby observes.

"The witch spirits will protect us from the Originals, but we should get into the basement." Bonnie starts to walk down to the basement, when Abby sees Damon.

"Damon, what are doing here, what's going on?" Abby asks.

"They took Elena. They're going to kill her unless we stop Esther." Bonnie rushes back up the stairs when she sees Abby isn't behind her.

"Abby, what are you- Damon?" What was he doing here, how did he know where to find her?

"Elena is dead unless we stop Esther." Abby fills her in.

"Damon, we-we can't stop her. She's channeling us!" Bonnie screams. How could they save Elena if Esther was channeling her? Damon places his arms on Bonnie to calm her down.

"Lexx found another way. She's gonna be fine, Bonnie." Bonnie breathes a sigh of relief before leaning her head onto Damon's chest. She could feel her body was at its breaking point and needed a moment to rest. Damon wasn't complaining, just keeps stroking her arms to keep her relaxed. Abby watches go with curious eyes.

"What is she gonna do?"

"Esther's drawing from the witches. The only way to cut her off is if she breaks what's bonding all the Originals together." Damon unwillingly moves his hands from Bonnie to text Caroline.

"Damon…you wanna kill Elena?" Bonnie asks shocked. She didn't realize just how far out the ship had sailed into open waters.

"Not Elena…Jeremy." He answers back.

* * *

"Jeremy, can you get me another glass of water before I leave?" Caroline asks.

"Sure." He takes the glass from her hands and heads into the kitchen.

"Uh, Lexx told me to tell you she was sorry for not answering any of your calls, or voice-mails," She sighs exasperatedly before placing a hand on her forehead. "You told her over the phone, Jeremy?" His back tenses up before he whips around.

"You don't think I wanted to be there in person when I told my best friend that someone she considered family was dead?" His voice rises. "How long did you expect to keep Lexx in the dark; Ric gets _stabs_ and you don't think she didn't notice his girlfriend wasn't there, that she wasn't frantically calling Jenna to come home after Stefan drove Elena on Wickery Bridge!" She texted, called the number so many times that the only outgoing calls listed were Jenna's. She was two seconds away from driving up to McKinley before Alaric lied and said she called him before she got to the hospital. He'd told her Jenna was gonna drive down later the next day but he assured her he was fine and didn't want her seeing him like this.

Caroline's eyes widen in surprise. "Lexx told you about Wickery Bridge?" It wasn't a secret, but it felt like it should be something limited to the people that were there.

"Lexx decided after Anna, lying wasn't something she wanted to do anymore," He laughs bitterly. "Not that it stops Elena from compelling me all in the name of keeping me 'safe'." Oh, if only he knew. Caroline shakes her head.

"What don't you two tell each other?" She wondered if Lexx actually needed her help or if she was here to check on Jeremy. "That's besides the point; she needs your help with Elena." Jeremy leans against the counter top.

"What's going on with Elena that you needed to drive twenty-seven hours from Virginia?" He learned to stop being so unaware when it came to the supernatural. Caroline winces.

"She's not convinced, but Lexx is eighty-five percent sure it'll work though."

"Caroline, what am I supposed to do with that little bit of information," Did they have a time limit, did he have to drive back with Caroline? "How do I help if I don't know what role I play?" He sighs.

"Elena helped Esther with a spell that can kill the Originals, her blood bonds them all together, but on the off chance that something goes wrong like Lexx thinks, I might have to... kill you."

"Excuse me?" Damon was probably gonna kill him again after he told Lexx about Jenna, so, he was good on dying. "I know you're not _that_ blonde, Caroline."

"I'm not trying to add myself to the list of people that have killed you; my Mom's already on there. But if the spell is bonded by her blood, Lexx thinks that because you two are related, the spell can be broken. I'll stay with you to make sure you're fine and then everyone goes home and we go back to the drawing board on how to kill Klaus."

"Caroline, I'm not too sure about this..." He'd never been purposely killed and had it serve a purpose.

"I'm a vampire, so it'll count as a supernatural death," She tries to reassure him, but it doesn't have the desired effect. "Jeremy, you're the only person that can help Lexx save Elena."

"She can't even answer her phone long enough to tell me she doesn't want to talk to me," He shakes his head as he a bitter laugh leave his lips. "I swear this girl is always stressing me out," Caroline can't tell if he means Lexx or Elena. "So what's the signal you're waiting on?" Her phone dings, signaling an incoming text.

 _From Damon: It's time._ Guess Damon knew.

"That it?" He asks. She nods.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. This will only hurt for a second," Caroline comes up behind him and snaps his neck. She catches his body as it falls and places him on the couch. "Please let this work."

* * *

"They're coming, Mother!" Finn exclaims.

"No, it's too soon, the moon is not high enough," Kol, Elijah, and Klaus appear from beyond the hill. "My sons come forward."

"Stay beside me, Mother." Finn calls out to her.

"It's okay. They can't enter."

"That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn." Kol insults.

"Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."

"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity." Elijah states fiercely.

"I'm not killing you," Esther shakes her head. "I'm making you human." A thousand years she'd spent on the Other Side, a thousand years she lost with her children. This would be a second chance at living life the way they should have.

"End this now Mother or I'll send you back to Hell." Klaus threatens. He wasn't about to lose his hybrids, his power.

"If I make you human again, we can start over. All of you have cursed this Earth, stretched out over generations, but when you die this time, then it will be the way nature intended and not because I interfered," She turns to Klaus. "I told you I wanted to us to live together as a family, Niklaus. I meant it."

"And what if we have no desire to be human, Mother?" Kol asks. He enjoyed being a vampire, reveled in it.

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch of all you. Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood," She turns her accusing eyes to Elijah. "Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. This is our chance at a clean state. If you've come to plead for me to change my mind , I'm sorry, you've wasted your time," The pentagram fires start to dim slowly and Esther can feel the power fading away. "No, sisters! Do not abandon me!"

"MOTHER!" Finn grabs Esther and they disappear. The torches flare up and die out. Elijah, Klaus, and Kol stand around in shock.

* * *

Elena is sitting on the floor, when Rebekah comes back into the cavern.

"You can leave now. Seems your boys took care of the problem. "

"How did they do that?" Was Bonnie alright?

"Damon turned Bonnie's Mother into a vampire."

"What?" Elena asks in shock. No, that couldn't be right, Lexx said she had a plan.

"Quite clever, actually. They needed to sever the witch line and, well, you can't be a witch and a vampire. In any case, you're free to go," Rebekah finishes as Elena rushes pass her. "Now we're even for that dagger you put in my back, Elena." Rebekah smirks.

Elena tries to find a way out of the cavern, when Elijah appears in front of her. "Elena, I'm here to take you home."

"Did-did Damon kill Abby? Is she dead? Is Bonnie okay?" Elena asks frantically.

"Bonnie is fine, no one is dead, Elena." He answers calmly.

"Are you sure? Rebekah told me-"

"I only told Rebekah the spell had been broken and you were free to leave. I have no inkling as where she got the rest of her information from."

Elena didn't know what kind a game Rebekah was playing at, she just wanted to make sure Bonnie was safe. "Can you take me to Bonnie's house?"

* * *

"Elena," I yell once I see her get out of a car I've never seen before. "You're okay!" I pull her into a tight hug and register the sound of a car pulling off has we hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She says hugging me tight. "You got my text! I was so scared you wouldn't get it." I let go to look at her.

"It scared the hell out of me Elle, I freaked out so bad!" I give a watery laugh.

"You freaked out? I've been stuck in an underground cavern for the last five hours!" We hear Caroline's ringtone go off on Elena's phone.

"Elena!" She shouts.

"I'm fine, Care," Elena says. "Have you heard from Bonnie?"

"I got a hold of Stefan he said she's riding back with him and Damon." She answers.

"How long ago was that?" I ask. Caroline checks the dock inside her car.

"Fifteen minutes," She answers.

"How's your Uncle Daniel doing?" Caroline had told Elena her Uncle Daniel had fractured his foot in a car accident. She was gonna help him out until his wife got back.

"Good. His wife got home earlier today, I'm driving back now." She answers as Damon car pulls up.

"Bonnie!" Elena and I scream as she gets out.

"Guys, I'm fine. Really," But she holds us just as tight. "Stefan told me what you guys did; thanks for having my back."

"Anytime, Bon Bon," Damon chimes from the driver's seat. Bonnie gives a slight chuckle. _Oh, we were so talking about this when I wasn't pissed._ "Ugh, enough with the teenage girl love fest. You getting in Elena?" Damon asks. Abby laughs.

"Give me a minute," She replies. "How did you save Bonnie, Lexx?" Elena asks me. This was the part where secrets got exposed.

"Well, your blood bonded Elijah and everyone together so, I figured if someone you shared blood with died, Bonnie would be okay." I explain tentatively. Elena looks lost.

"The only person she's related to is…Jeremy." Bonnie finishes shocked. Lexx...killed Jeremy to save her?

"He had his ring on, Elena, I stayed with him until he woke up." Caroline explains quickly, not wanting them to be mad.

"You…killed Jeremy?" Elena wasn't sure she'd heard Lexx right. She was starting to hyperventilate.

"At least I didn't keep it a secret like, Jenna," I snap. Her mouth parts slightly before she breathes out a sad sigh. "I knew he would be okay since Caroline is a vampire so it would make it a supernatural death. I didn't know what else to do." Elena face softens. She and Bonnie exchange a look.

"You're sure he's fine, Care?" Elena asks. She wanted to make sure he was okay.

"Yeah, I stayed a whole hour and he was fine, I promise Elena." Elena nods her head.

"You made sure Bonnie was safe and Jeremy was okay; I can't be mad about that. I can call him later."

"That's all you have to say?" Elena tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Is that why you moved your stuff out. Why I haven't seen much of you in the last week?" Bonnie groans. "I told you to tell her." This was what she was scared of happening.

"I tried, I just couldn't find the right moment." She couldn't just blurt it out at her.

"Mm. You know what's so ironic about all of this; Jeremy was the one who told me." The person who we had been keeping in the shadows at the beginning of this was the one who told me the truth. Jeremy was the one who told her?

"Of course he was," She groans. "He wanted to tell you, but he was outvoted."

"You all voted against me knowing?" Did I not matter because I left? "So anytime I've talked to Jenna while I was in New Orleans..."

"I used my magic." Bonnie replies.

"Safe to assume what you voted then, Caroline." Caroline was tired of Lexx only pointing the finger at them.

"Are you just as mad at Stefan and Damon?" Bonnie, Elena and her seemed to be the only ones getting hate thrown their way.

"You mean Stefan who only recently turned his switch back on or Damon, who I've known for two years versus you who I've known all my life?" She didn't get to burn the book because she didn't like what was happening in this chapter. "Stefan doesn't know that when my Mom got a flat tire, Jenna drove down from her house in McKinley to come pick us up even though it was an hour out of the way," We sang every song on the radio off-key and badly as we drove back. "Damon wasn't there for all the sleepovers and late night talks about boys and college and studying aboard; you were!" I hold the back of my hand against my nose to stop a cry from leaving my mouth.

Elena shrugs her shoulders helplessly.

"Ric called to tell you, but your Mom answered and said that you had a rough day, that you weren't responding to the treatment," A single tear slips down her face. "We couldn't add to it. We wanted you to focus on getting better and you couldn't do that if you're were being put under more stress." She didn't hear how her Mom sounded; she sounded defeated. She could picture her swaying on feet like she had finished a sixteen hour shift at the hospital. A sob was threatening to tear through her as she explained the the experimental drug wasn't reacting the way she hoped. In that moment, Ric decided to keep Lexx in the dark, only until she got better.

"DON'T!" My voice is sharp as I call out the command. Bonnie and Elena jump slightly. I hated when I had to be pulled out of anything or kept in the dark because of my condition; she knew that better than anyone else. "Don't use that has an excuse. It was easier on you if I didn't know." A tense silence falls over us.

"Hey, make you sure text Ric," Damon sighs dramatically trying to steer the conversation in a joking direction. "You know he'll worry." I nod.

"That'll be the least of his worries when we talk," I snicker. "I'm glad you guys are safe and Jeremy is fine, but I don't want talk to any of you right now. Stefan and Damon _included_ Caroline." I walk the short distance from the sidewalk to my car and start the engine.

"You're brother is dead, Elena." Damon was gonna throw his ring at the bottom of Steven's Quarry.

"Don't kick a girl when she's already down, Damon." Bonnie warns. Damon rolls his eyes, but listens.

"I'm gonna stay here, is that okay?" Elena asks Bonnie.

"Sure."

"Yeah, me too." Care adds in.

"Then Stefan and I are gonna go home. Make sure you girls keep the squealing to a minimum. Don't wanna wake the neighbors." He smirks at Bonnie. She rolls her eyes, but has a slight smile on her face. Stefan glances at Bonnie and Damon.

"Night, Elena." Stefan calls from his passenger side. Elena looks down at her boots, before looking back up.

"Night, Stefan." She responds shyly. S _ee_ med like alot was going on between Bonnie and Damon. And Stefan and Elena.

* * *

Lexx sends a quick text message while unlocking the front door to Ric's apartment.

 _To Ti: Do you still run Steven's Quarry?_

Setting down the last bag from the car, she waits for a response. The sound of a _ding_ alerts her of a new message.

 _From Ti: Three times a week. Why?_

 _To Ti: I need you to get something for me._

 _From Ti: What the hell would you need from_ _the Quarry? You know we have supermarkets, right_ _?_

 _To Ti: Pretty sure they're fresh out of moonstone ashes._

* * *

Rebekah walks into the room. Elijah is staring out the window. "Where the bloody hell is everyone?"

"It's over, Rebekah." Elijah states.

"Where's Mother?"

"We have no Mother, only Esther and Esther was right." He says grimly.

"What do you mean?"

"My talk of virtue. When it suits my needs, I kill, maim, and torment. Even today, I was willing to terrorize an innocent." His Mother was right.

"Elena is hardly innocent." She's grits through her teeth. She'd played on her emotions and daggered her when her guard was down.

"And I used your hatred of her to get what I wanted. Wielded you like I would a sword; my sister." What was noble about that?

"You did it to protect us Elijah and rightly so! We deserve to live! We are better than they are."

"Are we? Mother made us vampires, she didn't make us monsters. We did that to ourselves." He leaves Rebekah to contemplate his words. She walks into the parlor, where Klaus is contemplating burning the pictures he drew of the horse by the fireplace.

"I thought you'd have gone by now. Elijah's leaving, Kol's fled and Esther and Finn are gone too." He'd got to enjoy his family for a day. That was it.

"I hated you when I learned you killed our Mother. But I realize now that after a thousand years together as a family, you're the only one who never left me." It was back to just to two of them.

"Well, I'll be your pair." Klaus offers.

"There's something I need you to see." Rebekah pulls out her phone and shows Klaus the video of Elena she took.

"Come to brag about your skills as a torturer?" He ask has he watches.

"Look at the images on the wall behind Elena. The Natives told the story of our family history, look at the images on the far wall."

"What is it?" He was confused has to what he was looking at.

"A Native worshiping at the Great White Oak tree."

"And? We burned that tree to the ground." How was this of importance to him?

"Look at the markings that precede it, that's the native calendar."

"This can't be right." He watched the tree go up in flames, made sure there was nothing left but ashes.

"A White Oak tree three hundred years after we fled back to the Old World. There must have been a sapling, a new tree to replace the old. That tree could kill us. It's not over, Nik."

* * *

"Hello?"

"How's your neck?" He laughs.

"I can't believe Caroline told you about that! I'm fine." Elena could breath easy now.

"You sound distracted," Elena could only hope it was a girl. "How's Denver treating you?"

"Denver has welcomed me with open arms," It was Lexx not answering any of his calls, texts, or voice messages in the last week that had him distracted. "It's nice, I like it. School's going good, I'm thinking about joining the baseball team, and guess what else?" He asks excitedly.

"I don't know, did you get a car or something?" His excitement was contagious.

"I got a dog."

"Jer, seriously?" Elena asks. Their Dad never let them get one since he was allergic. "Wait," I stop him. "You didn't name him, Captain did you?" He swore up and down if he ever got a dog, he'd name him 'Captain'.

"You're so funny," He fake laughs. "His name is Dusty and he loves his name very much, thank you." He wasn't eight anymore.

"Just looking out for man's best friend is all." She jokes. Jeremy lets out a tired sigh.

"Speaking of best friends, Lexx isn't taking to me," He lays down on his bed. "I told her about Jenna."

"I know," Elena inspects her arm to see if there are any teeth marks from where Lexx ripped into her. "She just finished yelling at me."

"On a scale of one to ten-"

"She used the scale to hit me over the head and rightfully so." And she deserved it.

"What did she say, I mean...how's she coping?" If she answered any of his calls or texts, he would know.

"I didn't know at the time, but after you talked to her, she was distant, her mind seemed to wonder off somewhere else for the next week. Caroline told me after Lexx left the house this morning that she found her at the cemetery today." Elena wondered if she should tell Jeremy about Elijah telling her Lexx had been so cold, it almost seemed as if her switched had been turned off.

"I should be there," He left her to deal with this on her own. She hadn't left until he was in a place where saying Anna's name didn't make him want to close himself off from everyone. "She needs me, and I'm not there." Elena was confused; Jeremy sounded like he wanted to come back, but Damon's compulsion shouldn't have him even thinking about coming back.

"Jer," Elena drops her voice. "She doesn't want to talk to any of us. You trying to force your way through the front door is liable to be met with her fist." Maybe if she stayed calm and rational, she could talk him out of it. Jeremy clenches his fist.

"Elena, I don't care." Distance or Lexx being mad, wasn't gonna stop him.

"This is this the same Lexx that came into the bathroom with me after I overheard Davis tell you 'good batch today' the first day of school and punch _you_ , remember?" Jeremy winces as the memory plays out in his mind. She had a vicious right hook for a cheerleader.

"Jer, food is ready!" A a voice yells out.

"Okay!" Jer answers back. "I gotta go, dinner is ready. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you, too," She says back as she hears the line hang up. She blows out a defeated sigh. "I have to talk to Damon about his compulsion." A knock comes from the door.

"We're starting the movie, you done?" Care asks. Elena nods and gets up from Bonnie's bed.

"Yeah. Is there popcorn?" Care nods.

"Abby has it the microwave right now," She answers. "You okay?"

"Our best friend hates us and isn't gonna be speaking to us anytime soon; just your average teenage problem." Caroline sits down on the bed and wraps her arm around Elena.

"She just needs space. We've been through too much to lose her because we put her health first." Elena lays her head on Caroline's shoulder.

"I hope not."

* * *

Damon is in his bathroom, washing his hands. Stefan is pacing the floor in the bedroom. "What are you so doom and gloom about? Lexx might feel like we betrayed her and be beyond pissed, but Bonnie and Elena are safe." He grabs the glass of bourbon off the sink. He would count that as a victory with everything else that was going on.

"Elijah kept his word. Rebekah let her go." Stefan finds himself voicing out loud, reassuring himself that Elena is safe and sound with Bonnie and Caroline. And Lexx angry at him and Damon. Damon nods.

"All's right in the world again." He passes by Stefan when his voice stops him.

"I lost that coin toss, Damon. If Lexx's plan would've failed, it should have been me who turned Abby. Why did you do it?" Stefan wondered if Damon knew he was willing to be the bad guy to fuel Bonnie's rage so he would have an excuse not to deal with the feelings he had for her.

"'Cause I'm not blind. I see what's been going on around here," Damon was a dick, he was uncaring at times and could be impulsive, but never blind. "You're hanging by a thread, Stefan. Barely over your last ripper binge and all you want is to be the old Stefan again." He knew his brother was eager to be goody two shoes, bunny diet, Pre-Klaus Stefan, but it wasn't gonna happen overnight because Stefan willed it to.

Stefan shakes his head, disagreeing. "Hmm. That part of me is gone for good." He wanted to be with Elena, to get back to how things were, but he had went from suppressing his Ripper side, to getting his fill when Klaus saw fit to call upon his 'Ripper'. And Klaus was never the problem. No, he was a ticking time bomb waiting patiently to go off before it obliterated every thing he deemed good about himself and left him with nothing but pure instinct to run of off as his gums ached.

"Oh, yeah?" Damon always took more convincing when it came to Stefan's self pity parties. "How long has it been since you've had a drop of human blood?" Stefan gives him a steely stare. Like he said, not blind.

"How'd you know?"

"Spend a hundred and forty-six years with someone, you kind of start to pick up on their tails," He holds back the scoff that's threatening to fall out of his mouth. "Answer the question. How long has it been since your last drink?" He takes a long sip from the glass.

Stefan turns his gaze to the wall. "Since the night I threatened to drive Elena off the Wickery Bridge." The already perfect twenty-twenty vision Damon had was sharpened by his vampire senses.

"See? You have enough to feel guilty about! Why add to the list?" Stefan turns his somber eyes on Damon. "By the way, you're welcome."

"You know, you're not fooling anyone either." If Damon wasn't blind, then neither was Stefan. The thank you at the Founders Parade, the dancing at the Decade's dance, all the secret planning and time that they must've spent together to keep Elena safe during the ritual, the way he had been with her when they found her and Abby unconscious, the ball. "The first time I thought you might like Bonnie, was the night Caroline got into the car accident," Damon raises his brow.

"At that point, I was more than convinced you were in love with Elena, but then she told me you didn't listen to her when she said she didn't want you giving Caroline her blood," He crosses his arms and leans against the wall. "No, you suggested it because you wanted to help _Elena_ , but you listened to _Bonnie_ instead. When has Damon Salvatore ever listened to anyone besides himself or the people telling him what he wants to hear?"

"If I saved the witch's friend, it would get her off my back." He lifts his shoulders carelessly.

"No, you did it because Liz was your friend and she was scared and Bonnie didn't know how to do a spell that powerful." Damon tightens his grasp on the glass.

"Didn't realize you were a therapist all of a sudden, Steffy." He saved Bonnie, her Mom, and Elena without anyone being killed. Technically. Couldn't he just get a congratulations and wait to see what other problem Mystic Falls would have waiting for him come tomorrow? He wasn't the one trying to cleanse himself after going on a human blood bender for the last few months. He didn't need to lounge back on a sofa and have Stefan live out his dream of being a doctor by deciphering something he didn't have a chance at. Bonnie was never gonna think he was good enough anyways.

"Well, I've had a hundred and forty-six years with you too, brother." His voice takes on a mocking tone. Damon sighs.

"Let's say for a second you're right," Stefan raises his eyebrows in surprise at Damon's participation. "Bonnie Bennett isn't gonna end up with a guy like me. Everything she hates wrapped up in a stunningly good-looking exterior with a drink in one hand, and someone's neck in another, would go against everything she stands for,"

Any thought he might've given to it, crashed and burned every time he did something bad and Bonnie reminded him that she wouldn't stand for it by making his brain go pop or Elena updated her on the latest indiscretion Damon committed and she distanced herself farther away from him. Though those seemed to be getting less and less as time went on, but Bonnie Bennett was not gonna be with him in any capacity because he was a slightly reformed, evil vampire. "She'd be better off with someone like-"

"Jeremy Gilbert?" Stefan suggests lightly. He knew that all the time they had been spending together after he found out about the supernatural had bothered Damon. He walked around the Boarding house with a permanent scowl on his face that had nothing to do with Katherine or the havoc she was causing in Mystic Falls. That coupled with the way he made it his life's mission to intersect any intimate contact Jeremy would try to have with Bonnie, fueled Stefan's silent suspicions. He hoped Damon would take the bait. Damon glares at him in disbelief before the scoff he had put off, leaves him.

"Baby Gilbert isn't man enough for Bonnie or deserves her," He rolls his eyes. He couldn't see the attachment Lexx had to him. "I was gonna say someone like Matt Donovan though that would make it two best friends of his ex-girlfriends' he's dated. He's got the All-American, boy next door charm all teen girls have a crush on with none of the drug habits." Except that one one time at Elena's birthday party...

He knew Damon had thought about Bonnie in that way from his speech. "Hmm," Stefan nods appreciatively before pushing off the wall and heading in the direction of the door. "You wanting the best for someone even if it's not you, is usually a sign that you love them."

"I'm better at being the bad guy." Ah deflection. You invented that remember, Damon?

"Then don't save her next time." Stefan leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Damon smashes the glass against the wall.

* * *

"So this is your place, huh?" Alaric observes, entering Meredith's apartment. "You're kind of a slob."

"Housekeeping is not high on my priority list." She worked twelve hour shifts, something was liable to fall thorough the cracks. Or get thrown over the chair and left there for a few days.

"I see that." He takes the sit on the chair and watches as she pulls a flashlight out of her hospital coat.

"Look at me," She shines the light into his eyes. "Pupillary response is normal. You might have a broken rib, but I can take care of it here."

"That kind of sucks," He laughs. "Getting my ass kicked on a...date." He was hesitant to call it that. Meredith catches the slight hesitation, but she could let it slide. They weren't serious.

"That's what you get. Picking fights with guys thirty times your age." She jokes.

"Yeah."

"Rest. Lexx, Damon and Stefan are going to take care of Elena and Bonnie, and I'm gonna take care of you." Alaric gives her a half smile.

It seems like Alaric has only just closed his eyes, when he's woke up by the sun streaming in through Meredith's blinds. He heads into the kitchen to get some medication, when he sees a folder with his name on it. He picks it up and sees crime scene evidence in it. He looks at another folder and finds one of his knifes wrapped in a cloth.

He hears the trigger of a gun being pulled behind him and sees Meredith aiming a gun at him. "You weren't supposed to see that." She launches a bullet at him.

* * *

A/N: What was going through your mind when Lexx went go toe-to-toe with Elijah? And what about that conversation between Damon and Stefan?


	18. Chapter 18

Musical inspiration: Haunting Heathens (Mashup) - Twenty One Pilots & Halsey

 **'1912 Was the Year of Relapse' will be in three parts**

* * *

1912 Was the Year of Relapse Part I

 **Mystic Falls Town Square, 1912**

"Will you get home alright, Mr. Salvatore? I can send for one of the police vehicles." Sheriff Forbes asks.

"Oh, a winter chill never hurt anyone, Sheriff Forbes." Zachariah responds.

"I'm less concerned about the cold front, more for your safety."

"One council men's murder doesn't make an epidemic Gerald. Good night."

"Good night." Zachariah leaves and starts to walk across the square, alone. He hears a noise and is suddenly stabbed.

 **Present Day Mystic Falls**

"The mystery is not going to get solved any faster with you yelling at me, Carol." Liz was frustrated enough as it was without Carol following her into the police station.

"We have two council murders and an attempted murder on our hands." That pulls Liz up short, causing her hand to still on the door handle.

"You don't think I know that?" She'd been pulling all-nighters for the last two weeks. "I've interviewed four suspects already and they've turned out to be dead ends."

"If you have a suspect, it is your duty to keep me in the loop." Carol was damned if she sat by and stayed blind through this whole thing.

"So you can take the lead on the investigation?" Liz remarks. She was acting like a true Lockwood right now; demanding answers and throwing weight around. Carol crosses her arms.

"Let me remind you, I'm the Mayor; I have a town full of women, children and men to keep safe." Lives were at stake and being quiet on the status of a potential suspect wasn't helping quell her fears.

"You may be the Mayor, but this is my town," Liz was gonna make that clear. "I patrol the streets, I respond to the calls, I write the reports and I trek through the woods when dead bodies show up." With each sentence she would take a step closer until she was inches away from her face.

"As a member of the Council, I need to something to tell everyone else. They're getting restless."

"First and foremost, it's my duty to make sure I don't accuse an innocent person of being a serial killer." She got that she wanted answers, but she was jumping at the first sight of a possible lead without looking at all the evidence or lack thereof.

"Just, tell me who it is, Liz." Carol demands.

* * *

"I didn't do it." Alaric states to Liz for umpteenth time, dragging a hand over his tired face.

"You're arresting him for what this nut job, Dr. Fell says?" Damon questions.

"No, I'm detaining him. The cell is for his own good," She turns to face him. "You were shot, Dr. Fell used vampire blood to heal you."

"Good thing she had that supply of vampire blood she drained Damon of." I roll my eyes.

"Dr. Fell, is the one who shot me!" He didn't imagine the sound of a gun being loaded or her shooting a very real bullet at him.

"Because you came at her with a knife!" Liz shouts.

"A knife I found _hidden_ in her things! A fact you keep forgetting!"

"So you're already taking sides? This is so you can tell Mayor Lockwood you've got a suspect!" I shout. Damon puts his hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off. Now was not the time.

"Are we gonna ignore the part where he's one of the killer's victims? I mean, the guy was practically stabbed to death." Yes, Damon was talking some good shit here!

"Well, Dr. Fell suggested his wounds could have been self-inflicting." _Obviously the bitch is gonna cover for herself._

"I can't imagine it'd be hard to make a wound look self-inflicting as a _doctor_ ," I mock. "It's not like you know how soon she called the police after she shot him." I scoff.

"You think I stabbed myself? Did you not just hear what Lexx said, she could've easily did that when I was out!" Alaric replies, agreeing with me.

"Look, I think I don't know what to think. I've got nothing except murder weapons from your stash and a respected member of a founding family pointing a very long finger." Liz says angrily.

"She's setting him up," I grit through clinched teeth. "Me, Stefan, and Damon knew he was with her, she's a member of the council, so it's not like it would go unnoticed if she disappeared, she already knew about vampires, and up until a few hours ago, was helping us! She has something to hide that Uncle Ric wasn't supposed to find out about."

Uncle Ric looks at me gratefully. "I'm being framed here."

"Well, that may be so, but I don't have any proof of that." _Best thing you've said since you've been here_ _._

"Well then we'll find some." Damon replies. It'd been a while since he and Lexx had teamed up without Stefan in tow.

"No, just stay out of this, Damon," She knew what kind of methods Damon used to get his information and it was liable someone would end up dead or in the hospital. "You getting involved is only going to make matters worse."

"What are you talking about? Damon is one of the best options we have to figure what actually happened last night." I respond.

"Listen, Liz…" She cuts him off.

"Don't make me put you in that cell with him!" Seeing that Liz is serious, I gesture for Damon to go outside and give me a minute. He gets the message and is out the door by the time I walk over to the holding cell.

"You are crap at following directions," I give a watery laugh. "You were so worried about something happening to me and then you go and get yourself shot." I shake my head.

"Don't cry, kid." He wipes away a tear on my face.

"I'll make sure you get out of here, Uncle Ric. I promise." I wrap my fingers around the cell bars.

"Knowing you know I didn't do this helps."

"Though if were being honest, I might move a little slower than usual," He cocks his head to the side. "How could you keep Jenna a secret? She was my family, and you let me think she was alive and safe." I feel the familiar sensation of tears building up. He's not shocked by the information.

"Jeremy," He states. He knew there were more than friendly intentions when he told her. Not that her feelings were any less friendly; he thought she was a little to emotional when he and Elena had decided to send Jeremy away to Denver. I nod my head. "I'm sorry I kept waiting for the right time to tell you, but that's it, kid," He was terrified she would randomly collapse from running or a vampire would wait until she was having a asthma attack and would use that to his or her advantage.

"The only good thing that's happened in the last year besides Klaus thinking Elena dead, was you being gone and it killed me to have to bring you back into this. If me sitting gives you comfort, and makes you feel better, then so be it. You were in the dark for three months. I handle a few hours." He gives a small smile of understanding. I couldn't enjoy it if he just rolled over and took it.

"Lexx." Liz calls, signaling it's time for me to leave.

I leave him, watching has Liz follows behind me and shuts the door. The only sound heard between us is our footsteps on the floor. I decide to try and get rid of some of the tension that fills the hallway.

"I'm gonna go see if the Mayor will let up on some of the pressure she's been putting on you. I didn't mean to accuse you in there. I know you've been pulling a lot of late nights since this started happening." She looks at me questionably.

"How do you know that?"

"Caroline told us a while back."

"Dammit, Caroline," She sighs. "I'm sorry too, Lexx. I'm not taking sides here, this is just confusing the hell out me and I don't know what to do." Vampires she could do, murders she could handle, but when the two crossed and the victim was human, she was lost with no leads and no clues.

"You're gonna do your job and find out what's actually happening and I'll make sure Damon stays out the way. I know you didn't want him involved because Alaric is his best friend." I put a hand on her shoulder.

"I appreciate it, Lexx, I really do," She gives me a slight sigh. "But you sure she'll listen to you; you and the Mayor aren't exactly on the best of speaking terms right now." She was referring to the 'treaty' she had with Niklaus.

"I can put that aside to make sure you don't have deal with her breathing down your neck while having to worry about if another body is gonna show up."

* * *

"What are we running a marathon?" Matt asks out of breath. He liked that they could do something normal like this, but it was like they were trying to run off their guilt.

"If you can't keep up…" Elena trails off, turning a corner.

"Aren't you supposed to be a football player, Matt?" Bonnie teases.

"Yeah, this is nothing compared to what coach has you and the rest of the team do." Caroline laughs.

"You guys can't outrun your problems, though it looks like you're gonna try," Matt replies, slowing down his pace. " I talked to Lexx!" They stop running.

"Is she...does she need anything?" Caroline asks quickly.

"Did she say something?" Bonnie questions.

"She's mad as all hell," He remembered what it was like when he found out Vicki was dead. "She just hates that you guys lied to her, that you used her being sick as the reason why you didn't tell her; you know she hates that with a passion. It's a constant remainder that she's not healthy."

"You didn't hear Ms. Torres on the phone that day, Matt," She sounded small, like she was being crushed under the weight of Lexx's condition. "She said Lexx spent half the night wide awake because it hurt to breath. How did you expect me to tell her Jenna was gone after I heard that?"

"I don't know," At one point or another, each of them had been put in a situation where they had to make a difficult decision. "But she doesn't want you to keep life changing things like that a secret from her. What if Klaus had said something to her before you had a chance?" He could see him using that has a way to distance Lexx from the group and turn her against them. Lexx was more than mentally strong enough not to fall for it, but just the idea of her being on the opposing side was enough to rattle him. "This is Lexx; she doesn't leave family. She'll come around." Matt assures her.

"What were you and Abby talking about this morning?" Care asks, changing the topic.

"Damon." That sparked everyone's interest. They all turn there their eyes to Bonnie. Matt is the first to respond.

"What about?" Has far as he knew, Damon and Bonnie only came together when one of them were in trouble and nothing else. He crosses his arms and waits for her answer.

"He was acting weird when he drove us home that night. Abby said she caught him looking at me in the mirror a few times…he gave me his jacket. He was even outside late this morning. He told Abby he was keeping a watch on me," She puts her arms behind her back to stretch them out. "I chalked it up to Lexx making sure to tell him to be nice and keep a eye on me." She couldn't be too pissed if she still wanted to make sure she was okay. Matt and Caroline trade looks.

Elena looks at Bonnie stunned. How many times as Damon claimed to be in love with her, he never once gave her his jacket; he was weirdly protective of it like he was with his car or his rug. "Bonnie, I'm pretty sure-" Her phone rings, effectively cutting her off.

"Who is it?" Bonnie asks.

"Sheriff Forbes?" Elena answers, looking at Caroline.

"Why is my Mom calling you?" Caroline turns to Bonnie. She shrugs her shoulders.

"Is everything okay?" She pauses. "He _what_?"

* * *

Damon is walking out of the holding cells when Bonnie sees him.

"Were you just with-"

"Ric's fine. Liz wants me to stay out of it though," He looks around, expecting to see a frantic doppelgänger not far behind her. "What are you doing here, where's Elena?"

"Me, Caroline, and Matt were out running when Sheriff Forbes called," She motions towards the parking lot. "She's parking the car. Caroline thought it would give her a chance to try to process what Sheriff Forbes told her," She explains. "But I know better than to think you're actually gonna listen though. Right?" She asks unsurely.

"Seems just as good a plan as any."

"Your friend's in jail…for _murder_. You have to do something." She urges.

"Well, I guess I could rip out Dr. False Accusation's tongue. You know, I could chew it up into little tiny pieces and feed it to the squirrels." He moves his teeth in a chumping motion.

That's when it clicks. "How are you dealing with this Damon?" Bonnie asks suddenly, catching him off guard.

"I'm…fine." He answers stiffly. The witch had never asked about his feelings before.

"I mean, he's Lexx's Uncle and Elena's guardian, but he's also your friend." Damon clenches his jaw.

"What do want me to say, Bonnie?" He throws his arms up. "That I feel helpless? Trapped? Especially after I was able to save you last night?" He explodes. She wasn't expecting that.

"Just because you told Sheriff Forbes you'd stay out of it, doesn't mean Lexx is gonna do the same," Bonnie tentatively reaches out to place a hand on his arm. He doesn't pull away. "She's probably planning something right now and is gonna call you to help her has soon as she has it figured out." Damon lets out a sigh and darts his eyes to the double doors before looking back at Bonnie. He shakes his head slightly.

"I'm too close to it," He drags a hand over his face. "I'm tempted to go to the hospital and tear her throat out." Maybe Liz was right. Killing Meredith wouldn't help Ric.

"You know Lexx isn't gonna stand by and let Alaric take the blame for something we know he didn't do," Bonnie was sure of that. "Let her take care of it and you can figure who's actually been killing everyone," She suggests. "Whether Lexx finds something that gets Ric out or you find the person doing this, it's a win-win for him."

Bonnie had taken to rubbing her hand comfortingly down Damon's arm. If Damon wasn't so agitated, he would've laughed; Bonnie was comforting him instead of popping the blood vessels in his brain like he had got accustomed to over the last two years. His posture had visibly relaxed since she had her hand on his arm.

"Doesn't make it any easier knowing he's sitting in a cell." Just then, Elena sees them and follows with Caroline and Matt behind her. Bonnie quickly retracts her hand.

"Where's Ric, is he okay?"

"Meredith said he attacked him and Sherriff Forbes thinks he's the person murdering everyone, so in conclusion, like shit." Elena rolls her eyes.

"Now's not the time to be a dick, Damon." Caroline states.

"Has Lexx been here, she's not answering her phone." Elena replies.

"She was here earlier, but she didn't take it too well. Not surprised she's icing you out. You can go find Liz and tell her to take you to where Ric is," He waits until she walks pass him to talk to Bonnie and Caroline. "I need you two to meet me at the house when you're done here."

Elena phones goes off, signaling a text message. _From Lexx: Guess it's safe to assume that you know Alaric is in jail. Meet me at your house when you're done._

* * *

Stefan is in his room, writing in his diary. He's having blood withdrawals, his hand rapidly hits the table and his ring makes a loud knocking noise against it. Damon enters the room.

"Dear diary, a chipmunk asked me my name today. I told him it was Joe. That lie will haunt me forever." Damon says with fake sincerity.

Stefan gets up and puts his diary back on the shelf. "What do you want?"

"I was hoping we could hang, you know a little brother bonding. I know we don't actually hang out; we team up, we join forces, we activate our Wonder Twin powers." Damon shows him his ring. He starts looking through Stefan's bookshelf.

"What are you doing?"

"Digging up clues. Most of the Originals are gone, but now we have a whodunit in town. Do you remember when we came back for Zachariah's funeral?"

"Vaguely. Why?"

"If memory serves, he wasn't the first founder's council member killed that year or even that month."

"Your point being?"

"I'm trying to remember what year it was."

"Nineteen twelve." Stefan answers quickly.

"So much for vaguely," Damon grabs one of the diaries on the shelf and throws it to Stefan. "nineteen twelve, or as I like to call it, last time Mystic Fall's had a serial killer on its hands." Stefan opens up the diary and reads it. _"It feels strange to be home again after so long away. I thought I would never return. Certainly not for a funeral."_

 **Mystic Falls, 1912**

A funeral is taking place. Two women approach Stefan.

"I'm sorry for your loss Mr. Salvatore. I'm told you're a distant cousin of Zachariah." A unnamed woman named voices to Stefan.

"His nephew, actually. Miss..?"

"Lockwood. Marianna Lockwood. And this is my friend, Samantha Gilbert."

"As in, Jonathan Gilbert."

"My late grandfather. Did you know him?" She asks curiously.

"Crossed paths." He drops his voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be inappropriate, but no one seems to be willing to discuss the details of Zachariah's death."

"He was murdered and he wasn't the first." Samantha states boldly.

"Samantha, don't be a gossip." Marianna chastises her.

"Why not? He should know. He's a founding family like us. Be careful Mr. Salvatore. It's not a good time to be a founder in this town." Samantha and Marianna leave. Stefan looks at a nearby tombstone; he sees a crow fly away. Damon appears.

"Have you been eating the relatives again?" He asks coyly.

"Damon." Stefan smiles.

"It's been a long time, brother."

"It's been almost fifty years. I'm surprised you came."

"And miss the funeral of, what do you call him, Uncle Zachariah?" He asks a little snidely.

"I see you're still mad at me."

"Why would I be mad at you Stefan? You made me become a vampire and now I walk the world alone, drinking other peoples' blood."

"Any chance you took it all out on our nephew, Zachariah?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who killed our family, remember? May father rest in peace."

"I'm not like that anymore, Damon."

"Well congratulations, Stefan. But if you'll excuse me, I'd like to live out my eternal existence as far away from you as possible." He turns to leave.

"Damon, wait. Let's grab a drink, catch up," Stefan suggests. "I've missed you, brother." He confesses.

Damon nods his head slightly. "Sure. Why not?"

 **Present Day Mystic Falls**

"So, this isn't the first time Mystic Falls has had a serial killer?" Bonnie expresses stunned. She and everyone else had come in when Stefan was reading the diary.

"We really shouldn't be surprised by anything at this point." Caroline sighs.

"Who wants to get drunk?" Matt asks bluntly from his place on Stefan's desk.

"Matt!" Bonnie shouts.

"I was opposed to you being here at first Mutt, but that's the best idea I've heard all day." Damon nods.

"You two getting day drunk isn't gonna help Alaric." Bonnie says exasperatedly.

* * *

"Thank you for meeting with me, Mayor. I figured as head of the Preservation Society, you'd be a good person to ask about the oldest trees in this community." Rebekah expresses.

"A long line of Lockwood women use to keep those records. Back before any of them had actual jobs." Carol says matter of factly.

"I've been to the Founder's archive, but I can't seem to find any record of the tree I'm looking for."

"It probably got cut down. Big old trees built half of this town in the nineteen hundreds." She finishes as Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Caroline and Matt enter the Grill.

"Oh, there goes your girlfriend at nine o'clock, Mutt." Matt and Rebekah gaze at each each other before she turns away and shifts her focus back to Carol.

"Do you happen to know who kept the milling ledges during that period?" If she found the location of the tree before Stefan and Damon find out about it, she could torched it to the ground and ensure that it never had a chance to spring up again.

Carol didn't know what game Rebekah was playing at, but this could put Tyler and the town at risk if she wasn't careful. She would have to tread lightly. "Back then all the logging mills were owned by the Salvatores." Rebekah glances over to Stefan and Damon at the bar.

"So, what does a medical examiner and Alaric Saltzman have in common?" Damon questions the group. Stefan starts knocking his hand against the table.

"Stefan, are you okay?" Caroline asks. She knew it wasn't easy going from an animal diet to gorging yourself on any person you deemed tasty. Stefan nods his head.

"Come on, knock it off," Damon dismisses. Stefan pours himself a drink. "You know, quitting blood cold turkey after a Ripper binge might not be the best approach. Every time you play that all or nothing game, you eventually leave a trail of bodies, so I'm thinking, now is a good time to pay our old friend moderation a visit."

"Damon…" Bonnie trails off, looking at him. It was obvious Stefan was having withdrawal symptoms and Damon being an ass about it wasn't gonna help him or Ric.

"They were all on the Founder's Council, Damon," Stefan quickly tries to get the attention off of him. "That's what they have in common."

"I mean, hey, if you're gonna slaughter council members, go A-list." Damon replies.

"But why them, huh?" Bill Forbes, sure, but... "Brian Walters and Mr. Saltzman aren't from founding families." Matt responds.

"Yeah, they killed a Salvatore," Bonnie points out as Damon leans on the bar next to her.

"Why shift gears from a council member to a medical examiner and then switch to a history teacher?" Caroline questions finishing Bonnie's thoughts. Rebekah comes up behind them.

"Which Salvatore would that be?"

* * *

"You have to agree, Sheriff, there is no motive here." Alaric voices. The only fight they had had was the one he broke up at the fundraiser for the Wickery Bridge. And it wasn't even his fight!

"Look, the medical examiner got into an altercation with Meredith Fell before his death and my ex-husband hand one with her before he was attacked. Now she said you were a witness to her fight with Brian Walters." Yeah he did, but what did that have to do with anything? He couldn't control when people decided to have an argument in public.

"So, what are you saying, I was defending her honor? I barely knew her then." He says angrily.

"She said she also told you that Bill threatened to report her to the medical board for attempting to give him vampire blood." He shakes his aggressively.

"No, she didn't." What the hell was with this woman? He'd thought their date went well, maybe well enough for a second, but she decided shooting him and accusing him of murder was better than turning him down.

"A two a.m. call the night he was attacked? I pulled your records; you spoke with her for over an hour." Alaric sits down on the bed in the cell to process the new information.

"Okay, I, uh, yes, I-I remember calling her, but I was drinking and I don't remember the conversation." He admits. Or maybe she had told him and he couldn't remember? That's it, no more drinking.

"Well, do you have an alibi for the night Brian Walters was killed?"

"I was there the night of the bridge fundraiser, okay? Until midnight, you saw me there. Lexx and Damon were with me."

"Time of death was between one and three a.m." There went his alibi.

"Well, then, I-I must have been home, sleeping. I'm sure of it." Alaric showing up has a possible suspect was pulling her in a direction that had clues and while she wanted to remain neutral, Alaric was being painted in a guilty light that was hard to ignore.

"You don't sound too sure, Ric."

"Again, what motive do I have?" He'd just met the woman and knew next to nothing about her. "It's not like I'm anywhere past Jenna to be considering dating anyone seriously."

"You think she fabricated this whole story and shot you because she couldn't handle you not being in the head space to date?"

"Her ex, the medical examiner, said she was a psycho case and I'm starting to believe there was some truth to it."

"There's one flaw here; she doesn't know about Jenna."

"Like she doesn't know about vampires?" He hits back as he smirks. "She's a member of a founding a family, someone could have easily told her."

* * *

"So, Zachariah Salvatore was your nephew?" Rebekah questions.

"Well, our Father knocked up one of the maids during the Civil War, she had a son. But as far as everyone else knew, Stefan and I were dead. Family name had to go somewhere." Damon finishes.

"So that's where you get it from." Caroline snorts. Bonnie laughs slightly. Damon waits to catch her eye before rolling his eyes at her.

"And, uh, your family owned the logging mills back then?" She inquires. Stefan looks at her curiously.

"You're full of a lot of questions." Damon notices.

"I'm just researching the town history," She reasons. "I grew up here after all."

"You know, you don't have to disguise your true motives here, Beks," He raises his eyebrow. "If you want sex, just ask for it."

"Damon, stop being a dick and get back to the story." Matt commands, taking Rebekah aback. Damon rolls his eyes. She smiles at him before grabbing the bottle to pour herself a drink.

"Not enough liquor in the world." She scoffs, placing the bottle back on the bar.

"Oh, come on, it could be good for you." Yeah, no. Stefan was itching to sink his teeth into a warm neck and Damon flirting with Rebekah, wasn't something he would've chosen to distract himself with. He grabs his glass and the bottle and moves from between Rebekah and Damon to sit next to Caroline.

"That's not what we came here to talk about." Bonnie cuts in. Did he forget Alaric was sitting in a jail cell while he drank and flirted with Rebekah. Anyways, she didn't think the blonde was his type.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Guys, please keep the families and victims of the Fort Lauderdale shooting in your prayers.

* * *

1912 Was the Year of Relapse Part II

"You'll have to excuse my little brother, he's jonesing for some O positive." Damon explains at Stefan abrupt change in seats.

"I'm not jonesing." Rebekah takes the opportunity to move into the seat next to Matt.

"So, did they ever catch the killer?" Matt asks.

"Nope. Wrote it all off on vampires." Damon replies.

"Maybe it was a vampire," Bonnie voices. "It's not like you guys ever follow a a specific pattern when it comes to your victims. You only have preferences." Damon gives her an impressed once over before returning his attention to Stefan.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe it was a vampire, Damon." Stefan echoes.

"Don't think for a second you didn't cross my mind too, brother. But these weren't your style, were they? Plus, there were no other vampires circulating then." He shoots down the idea.

"Well, there was one other vampire. Remember Sage?" Stefan offers.

"Oh, right. Sage. Speaking of great sex." Damon wags his eyebrows at Bonnie while taking a swig from the bottle. Bonnie sighs.

 **Mystic Falls, 1912**

"Damon, you've had enough." Stefan says to Damon has he takes a swig from the bottle. Stefan takes the bottle from Damon and drinks.

"Hit a man when he's down." The two head towards a tent. Inside a Sage is beating a man in a boxing match. She knocks the man out with an upper cut.

"Who's next? A hundred dollars to any man who can beat me." Sage announces. She sees Damon and winks at him. Stefan walks over to Damon.

"I can teach you how to survive without human blood, you know." Stefan suggests.

"You do not get to lecture me on how to live my life. Not anymore." Damon walks away from him. Sage comes up to him.

"What's your name?"

"Not interested."

"Well, Mr. Not Interested, you seem to me like a gambling man."

"Afraid you have me all wrong." Sage pulls out a hundred dollar bill from her shirt and puts it in his pants.

"Hmm, well that's too bad." She walks away.

 **Present Day Mystic Falls**

"I knew a Sage once. Trashy little thing." Rebekah insults. Caroline and Bonnie roll their eyes. She was the archetype mean girl.

"I bet it had nothing to do with you having to deal with the fact that you had to make room for another woman in your brother's life." Bonnie speaks aloud. Damon smirks and Rebekah glares at her.

"You really think it was Sage who was killing all those founders back then?" Matt asks, trying not to laugh.

"Town questioned of a grown man in Mystic Falls. Probably never occurred to them that a woman could have done it." Stefan answers.

* * *

"Lexx, you gotta stop with the pacing." Elena voices from her spot on her car.

"This bitch has accused my Uncle of trying to kill her and Sheriff Forbes thinks he's a suspect; you should be lucky the only thing I'm doing is pacing." She sees Meredith get out of her car and goes up to her. They keep walking towards the hospital.

"I'm due in surgery, whatever case you're gonna make against Alaric, make it quick." She dismisses. _See, she's trying to get hurt. And I'm the one to do it._

"I don't have to make a case, he didn't do anything."

"How do you know, Elena? Sure you live with him, he takes care of you, but do you really know anything about him?"

"I know. I know more than enough." I say, speaking for Elena. Meredith stops walking and turns to face us.

"Let me tell you what I know; he was arrested for fighting four times before the age of twenty-one. When he was at Duke, his future wife, Isobel, filed a restraining order against him; twice. Although, then she married him, so I guess that says more about her." Restraining order?

"Two of those fights were because a drunk guy wouldn't take 'no' for an answer from a girl that wasn't interested…the other two were him being dragged into fights because of his friends," I explain. "But what I know is you're a doctor, so it wouldn't be that hard to make a wound look self-inflicted with your knowledge of the human body."

"And the restraining order, Lexx?" It couldn't be something serious like him putting his hands on her, Uncle Ric wasn't that type of guy. _Period._

"I don't know." I admit honestly.

"My point exactly. You took pity on a borderline alcoholic vampire hunter and you never even thought to look any deeper." She accuses Elena.

"That man has been looking out for me and brother for the last few months, has practically given up his home to make sure me and Jeremy are doing okay, and trained me so I can take care of myself. How could you do this to him? He didn't kill anyone and you know it!" She states fiercely. _I hadn't realized how strongly Elle felt._

"You date vampires, Elena, you're friends with them, Lexx. It shouldn't come as a shock to learn that your guardian is a murderer." She resumes her trek up to the hospital.

"You remember that when you're draining them of their blood to help those patients you're so desperate to save…hope you're doing a background check on them too," I say to her turned back. She tenses up. "We're through here, Elle. Let's go."

* * *

"So, uh, tell me more about your old relatives. I heard they tore down half the woods to build this town." Rebekah voices. A bartender gives them a new bottle of whiskey. Rebekah goes to grab the bottle, but Damon snatches it up.

"Easy there, lushy pants. It's been a hoot and a half, but its murder mystery night and you weren't invited." Damon and Stefan leave, taking the alcohol with them.

"I'll see you around, Rebekah." Matt pats her thigh, causing her to smile. Bonnie and Caroline glance at each other before getting up.

"So do we think it was Sage who was killing council member back in nineteen twelve?" Caroline asks Stefan as he makes his way to the darting board.

"Damon knew her better than I did, so we should ask him what he thinks."

* * *

"Thanks for texting me," Elena was shocked when she looked down at her phone and saw Lexx's name. "I know it wasn't an easy decision to make." She had to texted, called, left voicemails, even tried stopping by at Ric's apartment to reach out, but Lexx wouldn't answer.

"Seeing the way you defended him to Meredith, I know I made the right call." I say, trying to pick the lock to Meredith's front door. It's silent for a few minutes with the only sound being heard is the small half diamond SSDev hook key tinkering with the lock before Elena interrupts it.

"Lexx, I was never not gonna tell you," She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "I was just looking for a quiet moment when Klaus wasn't trying to kill one of us or when you weren't mad at me about Jeremy. I know how important Jenna was to you, but..." She didn't keep it a secret to hurt her or because she was being malicious. "We've had to deal with a nearly indestructible hybrid and a pack of wolves all while trying to stay safe; we couldn't help that but we could help to make sure you got better, Lexx," She was only in this state because of her. Because she had been in the car with her the night they went off Wickery Bridge.

"If we had told you, you would've tried to come back before the trial was over, and we couldn't let you give the eight months you spent waiting on the list be spent flying on a plane back here and jeopardize your health," It was scary enough watching her play such a physical role in the supernatural trying to overtake Mystic Falls without imagining a scenario where she had a random asthma attack. "And you were right. About it being easier on me with you not knowing," Lexx always a talent at being able to read the underlying emotions of people.

"Me deciding to come back was my choice and mine alone," She would bargain her life to keep people safe but since I had no one to save, it was different? "Meeting Isabelle put your mental health in danger, offering yourself up like a sacrificial lamb to Klaus, put you in physical danger and yet, you did both." I accuse.

"Lexx."

"It seems like because you're healthy without any medical issues, you're allowed to run straight into the eye of the storm! Medical issues aside, Stefan can be killed via a stake to the heart and as you've learned, Jeremy isn't invincible when it comes to bullets." I state matter of factly, keeping my eyes trained on breaking the lock.

"Everyone isn't privy to the knowledge that he's a vampire; odds are he'd killed them before they had a chance to grab the stake and Jer's more likely to come across a vampire than a bullet again, but you're right," She agrees. "They could be killed but at least they have safety nets in place," 'And you don't' rings out quietly at her unspoken statement. "I run when I think there's a chance I can keep the people I love alive and safe, but...Jenna was already dead before I could take a step," Elena admits meekly.

I turn to look at her to see her face; her eyes are glistening, desperately trying to keep tears from falling. Her face matches mine. "All us are...heavier than we were before we were exposed to this life. You remembering Jenna the way she was, you thinking she was still the same coffee junkie, slightly scatter-brained, laugh a minute woman you knew, kept her alive for me in a twisted way I guess. I'm sorry for keeping it from and using you to keep those memories of her intact."

"I don't wanna remember her the way Jeremy explained to me." I lean my head back to stop the tears from making an appearance. I had done enough crying in the last nine days. Elena crouches down beside me.

"From the bottom of my heart, down to the tips of my retired pom-poms," We let out a watery laugh. "I am sorry. I know you don't like it when you're left out because of your fibrosis, and it won't happen again. And I doubt Jeremy will let any one of us keep even the smallest thing from you." He sounded so heartbroken at the prospect of Lexx never talking to him again. He took it harder than she anticipated. She knew it would wreck him the same way losing their parents and Anna did, and it wasn't because Lexx was his best friend.

"I'm sure he's too busy conditioning for baseball to be worried about that," I still hadn't gotten around to talking to him, but he left voice-mails detailing everything that was happening in his life. Don't ask me why I didn't pick up the phone and call or type a quick text message to let him know how I was doing. "If I ever have to leave for anything and something like this happens, and no one tells me, I'll call Rebekah." I joke as I get the door open.

"Wow, nice job." Elena compliments me once I pick the lock.

"I'll add breaking and entering to the list of life favors you now owe me."

"Who taught you how to pick locks anyways?"

"Believe it or not, Kai." Her eyes widen.

"Kai _Parker_? Responsible, always on time, manager of the Grill, Kai Parker?" She asks shocked.

"I lived next door to him, so he used to babysit me sometimes. I think he acted out so much 'cause he lived with six other brothers and sisters and he was the oldest boy."

"Still, he's such a delinquent." She rolls her eyes.

" _Reformed_ delinquent." I correct.

"Speaking of reformed delinquents, please answer Jeremy's texts or call him," He only ever asked about Lexx and how she was doing when ever they talked. He couldn't handle her not talking to him. "He misses you." _I miss him, too._

"Last I heard, he was busy dating the ladies of Denver, one named Liv to be exact," That curly blonde was getting to be somewhat a fixture in his voicemails. I voice irradiatedly. Elena watches Lexx curiously. "But if you say so, I'll put him out of his so called misery." She nods.

"I don't know how much longer Meredith is gonna be in surgery, so let's see what we can find." We start searching through her place.

"Don't you think the police already combed through this place? What are we even trying to find?" I ask, looking through a file on her desk.

"Yeah, but I'm looking for the evidence that she _didn't_ hand over," She says, rifling through papers on her table. "And I know that Meredith's a Fell…a founding family. Which means..." She trails off, walking over to a closet and opening the door. She turns on the light and starts looking through her stuff and finds a hidden panel at the back of the closet.

"How much you wanna bet its hollow?" She knocks on it, confirming my suspicions.

"Skeletons in the closet; just like a true founder," I enter the closet to help Elena pull out the panel. We find a box inside and the two of us start searching through the files. "Brian Walters. Bill Forbes." Elena rattles off. I take out one of the folders and show it to her.

"Alaric Saltzman."

* * *

Damon is playing darts, Stefan, Matt and Caroline are sitting at a table. Damon hits a bullseye. "So, let's just say Sage was killing everyone in nineteen twelve. Who the hell is doing it now?"

"It could be Dr. Fell; she has the background knowledge to deliver a clean cut without making a mess." Bonnie interjects, taking a dart from Damon.

"She's a woman. There's no way she could stab three grown men." Damon shoots down. He throws the dart, but Rebekah catches it before it hits the board.

"That's a bit sexist. A woman could easily kill a man," Matt quirks his eyebrow at her bemusedly. "With the right motivation."

"You just, uh, don't give up, do you?" Stefan voices, taking a sip from his glass.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah questions.

"He's on a master cleanse. Trying to be a better man and all." Damon voices.

"And also not what we're here to talk about," Bonnie cut ins. "Stefan's issues her his own and if you're gonna help him, talking about it in public isn't the way to go about it." Why was he trying to set Stefan off with his little remarks? Stefan nods his head in thanks.

"You know, you were a lot more fun in the twenties." Rebekah observes.

"Rebekah, lay off it." Matt responds. She rolls her eyes, but listens. Maybe this night was turning around for Stefan.

"He's testy when he's being self-righteous." Damon facts. Looked like he was taking Bonnie's advice into consideration.

"I'm not being self-righteous, Damon," He didn't have Klaus' orders to follow anymore or his switch being off; nothing to prevent him from dealing with the emotional follow out of his actions and the blood he greedily drained from his victims. People who had lives, families, plans they had been looking forward to all week that they never made to because they had the misfortune of crossing paths with a sadistic Klaus who sicced him on them like a dog. "I'm just not interested in slaughtering innocent human beings anymore."

"Oh, okay, fair enough. My mistake," Damon takes out Stefan's journal. "You _use_ to be self-righteous," He reads from the journal. "'Dear diary, Damon has lost his way, though I have pulled my own life together, he continues to waste his.'" Rebekah grabs the journal from Damon.

"Ouch," She starts to read Stefan's journal out loud. "'His bitterness consumes him. He is nothing but blackness and vile.'" Matt takes the journal from her and closes it. Stefan nods in his direction, but still looks put off. "Oh, judgy," She scolds. Matt gives her a disapproving look. "Oh, fine," She rolls her eyes. "No more commentary from me."

"Well, this is fun." Stefan says dryly. If he had known documenting his experiences would lead to them being read in public, he would have brunt the damn things.

"You know, if I'm being honest, you didn't seem like much fun either Damon." Bonnie replies, shifting the focus from Stefan to Damon.

"I wasn't. The woman I was in love with was stuck in a tomb and she wasn't getting out for a hundred years," He wondered if Bonnie knew a time travelling spell so he could go back and and have a few rounds with his nineteen twelve self in the ring. "I wasn't having any fun at all."

"If you were so in love, why didn't you wait for her?" Caroline asks curiously.

"Sexually you mean?" Damon questions to clarify. "A man has needs, Barbie."

"How unexpected of you." Bonnie gives him an unimpressed look.

"You expected me to hold out for a hundred years?" Damon widens his eyes in disbelief. "Bon, when you look I do, it's kinda a hard feat."

"I bet Stefan could have." She fires back. Damon's mood darkens quickly. Stefan takes notice of the glass in his hand slowly develop a crack in the side. Huh. He wondered how much longer Damon could repress his emotions before they made verbal appearance. Would he blurt them out in a moment of jealously or would he approach the situation with some of his rare Damon calm? It didn't matter either way; regardless of Bonnie being a witch, and a powerful Bennett witch at that, her spell book was gonna be ineffective when it came time for Damon to reveal his feelings.

"I can assure you, Stefan was binding his time in other ways," He replies slyly. "And I decided to take Sage up on her offer."

 **Mystic Falls, 1912**

Damon is outside of the tent, feeding on a woman. Sage is watching him. "How sad. You're doing it all wrong. Bad vampire."

"I was hungry. Now I am not hungry. My quality of form is purely subjective." He defends.

"A woman isn't just for food. She's for pleasure." She says matter of factly.

"I do not need a woman for pleasure, I am spoken for." Damon starts to walk away, but Sage catches him.

"We are all spoken for, in some way. But what is being a vampire if not relishing in the pleasure of it?" She proposes. She starts to walk back to the tent. She nods to Damon. "Come along. Let me show you. Look at the women; they're beautiful, aren't they? Not them" She says once he pauses to look at a few women. "They're too hungry for attention. You want the ones who button themselves up. Watch them. They can't tear their eyes away from the fight. Those are the women who secretly crave seduction. They'll put up a good fight, but the game isn't winning them over, making them beg for it. "

"What if they don't?" Damon questions.

"You're a vampire, you take it," They look at a young woman on the other side of the room. "Her." Damon moves toward the woman. He looks back at Sage, she looks at the girl and nods her head at him, then looks away.

 **Present Day Mystic Falls**

"That sounds like Sage alright." Rebekah quips.

"How did you know her?" Bonnie was curious to know why she didn't like the woman in question.

"She was obsessed with my brother Finn over nine hundred years ago." Clung to him because he was her only way out of a peasant life.

"What? Creepy suicidal guy?" Damon asks in disbelief. He was creepy! How was he the only one that noticed this?

"He's hot." Bonnie voices, causing Matt to laugh. Damon gives her annoyed look.

"Bon..." He trails off. How could she possibly be even remotely interested in Finn? Better yet, when had she taken notice of him? Was it at the ball, was it the suit he was wearing?

"What, he is." The hell was the appeal of the lurky Original? What good is a guy trying to commit suicide when he can't even take you on a date? If she was looking for a tall, dark-haired vampire who was gaining a sense of moral, he was here.

"I can see it." Caroline agrees. Stefan starts tapping his finger against the table. Hearing his friends talk about hot a guy was, did not rank high on his list of things to do, though it was better than having to watch Damon flirt with Rebekah. He was pretty sure he did it to try to make Bonnie jealous.

"You're doing it again." Damon speaks. Stefan stands up abruptly.

"Alright," He couldn't take it anymore. "You know what, I need to, uh, I gotta get out of here." He hurriedly slips his arms through his jacket before he can do something stupid like take a waitress in a the alley out back and tear through her skin.

"Sure. First admit you're jonesing." Damon suggests.

"Damon, I'm not…" Damon races across the small table separating them and grabs him by his jacket.

"Admit it." He commands.

"Damon…we're in public place right now." Bonnie reminds him. He eases up a bit, but still keeps a tight hold on Stefan's jacket.

"Okay, fine, I'm freaking out," He confesses. All he could hear were hearts pumping and blood flowing through veins. "I'm ready to eat the entire wait staff, why do you need to hear me say it?" He grips Damon's arms.

"Because I'm feeling a little self-righteous too." Stefan pushes him away, breaking his hold.

"You sure pushing him is the right thing to do Damon?" Caroline questions, unsure.

"Damon's dealt with him when he was a Ripper, safe to assume he knows how to handle him." Matt speaks.

"I like you more and more as the night goes on Matt." Damon claps Matt on the back as he walks pass him.

"Did he just call me 'Matt'?" He couldn't recall him ever calling him by his actual name.

"It would appear so." Rebekah answers has she follows Damon out.

* * *

"She's got everything on him; medical records, old court documents." Elena says looking through Alaric's folder.

I pull out a journal from the box. "What is this?" Elena takes it from me and opens it up.

"It's an old Gilbert journal." _Now where would she have found that at?_

"Why is one of your old family journals in her closet? Elle, where would she have gotten that from? Do think she stole it from somewhere?" I bombard her with questions.

"I…I don't know," She's stunned to say the least. "But I'm starting to think this might be about me too."

"Wait, didn't Sheriff Forbes say the medical examiners time of death was between 1 and 3 a.m.?"

"Yeah, why?" She turn a page through the Gilbert journal.

"Because the county coroner's office says that's wrong." I say slowly. _What in the hell was Meredith trying to pull here?_ I hand Elena the paper. I think I hear footsteps and hastily stuff the documents back in the box and drag Elena with me in the closet.

Meredith enters her apartment, puts her bag on the table and heads for her bedroom. She throws on a jacket, grabs her stuff and leaves. Elena and I hear her open and close the front door. Elena goes to turn the light back on, but I gesture for her to wait. _Hadn't Elena seen movies?_

"Calm down, Meredith," We hear her say after a few seconds. Elena's eyes widen in shock. "No one's here, just breathe." She exhales a breath, before we hear the front door open and close again.

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Sheriff Forbes questions us. We had gone straight to her office once we left Meredith's house to tell what we found. What we may have found. Hypothetically.

"I said what if we 'hypothetically' found something. We wouldn't just break into her house." I cover.

"No? I hope not, because that would be breaking the law you two." She looks at us sternly.

"But, what if we found something that clears Alaric? Something that gives him an alibi in the Brian Walters murder." Elena urges. Liz holds up a piece of paper.

"You mean this?"

"What is that?" We ask simultaneously.

"A letter from the county coroner's office correcting the error in the time of death of Brian Walters. Meredith Fell received it today. She brought it to me several hours ago, full of apologies for accusing an innocent man." _But she had a copy in her house._

"Why would she have-" I stop myself. "What if she had a copy hidden in her closet?"

"I can't ask those questions, Lexx because of the fact that you broke into her home to find it. Do you know how much trouble I could get in if someone found out about this?" Sheriff Forbes asks, raising her voice.

"We're sorry, but we just wanted to make sure that Alaric wasn't gonna rot in a cell while you guys looked for clues." Elena apologizes for us.

"Just…go home. Please. Alaric will be released as soon has the letter is authenticated. Go." We push seats out and head towards the door. Once we're outside, I turn to Elena.

"You know that's bullshit right, Elle?"

"Damn right it is. There's no need for her to have to hide a copy of a coroner's report in a secret compartment in her closet." She agrees as we walk to her car.

"What do you say we stop by the Grill to get food and figure this out, Nancy?"

"Sounds like a plan, Drew."

* * *

Rebekah and Damon are walking to catch up to Stefan.

"So he doesn't want to drink human blood?"

"Ah, he has an eternally guilty conscious."

"Funny. When I knew him in the twenties, he didn't have any conscious at all. One of the things I liked most about it. You can't possibly think he can survive without feeding." Rebekah reasons.

"Oh, on the contrary, he's determined to live his life pursuing one extreme or the other. He's a stubborn one, my brother. Think I'm gonna need some help with this one."

"What are you thinking?" Damon sees a woman getting out of her car. He looks at Rebekah and then rushes over to the woman.

"Hello." He says.

"Hi."

"This may seem very forward but you're just so pretty." Damon flirts.

"Thank you." She smiles. Damon takes the opportunity to compel her.

"And please don't scream, you're about to be very helpful to someone." Damon extends his fangs and grazes the woman's neck. Stefan smells the blood, stops walking and rushes over to Damon and pulls him off the woman.

"Damon, stop!" Stefan yells. Rebekah catches the woman.

"Sorry, brother. It's dinner time, have a bite."

"What are you doing?" Stefan was using all his self-control to stop his fangs from sprouting out.

"Tough love, Stefan," He couldn't just cut himself off suddenly; you had to wean yourself off slowly. "You're not gonna survive this cold turkey thing, you never do. It's time to get that monkey off your back."

"No," He calls out as he shakes his head and takes a step away from the tempting sight. "No." He was trying to fight his hunger but Damon didn't want that.

"Feed or I'll let Rebekah have her way with her," He voices, giving Stefan an ultimatum. "You know she'll kill her." He declares.

"You know I will." Rebekah echoes.

"And then her blood will be on your hands or you could just have a little drink, save her life," Damon beckons. "You were the one that said you didn't want any more innocent lives slaughtered. Save her. I snatched, you eat, I'll erase," He lists. "Hell, I'll even heal her for you." He offers. Stefan pushes him.

"Why are you doing this? You know what blood does to me."

"Because you let it control you. You always have. I'm just here to help you learn how to fight it."

* * *

A/N: If I didn't know any better, I'd think Matt was flirting with Rebekah. Hmm. Thought I'd go ahead and upload this early since new episodes of 'Shadowhunters' and 'Still Star-Crossed' come on tonight and I want give those my undivided attention.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone that reviews, it means alot to know that some of you look forward to a new chapter being uploaded, you have no idea how much motivation and happiness it gives me to read them! I appreciate the positive and the criticism so I can do better and thank you to the reviewers that leave reviews saying which part of the chapter was their favorites; those lines are usually the ones I'm most apprehensive about.

Again, I don't own Lifetime movies.

* * *

1912 Was the Year of Relapse Part III

"This is rubbish." Rebekah announces. She extends her fangs and gets ready to bite the woman, but Stefan rushes over and pushes Rebekah out of the way, he grabs the woman. He stares at the blood running down her neck and proceeds to lick the slow stream of blood coming out.

"I got it from here. Go ahead."

"Good. I can go back to Matt then." Rebekah leaves.

"Alright, that's enough," Damon takes the woman from him and bites his wrist to heal the woman. "I got you. That's a good girl." Lexx and Elena are walking past the alleyway with their food, when they stop.

"What are you doing?" Elena asks once she sees them. Stefan turns around and Elena sees the blood on Stefan's face. "Stefan?"

Stefan wipes the blood off of his mouth hastily, smearing the blood across the back of his hand. "Elena…it's not what it looks like." He tries to explain.

"Really, 'cause it looks like you just feed off of a compelled woman and Damon is making sure no one finds the puncture wounds." I interrupt.

"Relax, you guys," He brushes off. "Just a little experiment. There's no need to make this more dramatic than it needs to be."

"You make me sick, Damon." I finish as I hear the door to the Grill open. It's Bonnie and Caroline. They approach us.

"This wasn't how I thought you would handle it, Damon." Caroline speaks once she connects the dots. Elena continues to stare at Stefan not saying anything.

"Elena, let's go." Bonnie says, pulling her by her arm.

"Bonnie-" Damon starts to say, but she doesn't let him get another word out. She scoffs lightly as she holds her hands up, palms showing.

"You don't owe me an explanation." She walks off with Elena, Caroline and Lexx following.

"So…that's gonna take a little time," Damon observes. He always seemed to find his way back to the starting line instead of running through the ribbon. "For both of us," Stefan walks away from him. "Stefan, hey, wait. Stefan, wait!"

* * *

Bonnie and Caroline had thankfully understood that Elena and I wanted to be alone what with the whole, Ric being accused of murder and seeing Stefan like that wasn't helping. Somehow, we'd ended up parked at the cemetery. We were just about to get out, when Elena's phone rang.

"Ric, hey! Are you alright?" She asks, putting the phone of speaker. _Was he out? Was he home?_

"I'm as fine has I can be after sitting in a cell practically all day." He chuckles.

"So, what are you gonna do now that you're a free man?" I ask, laughing slightly.

"First order of business, teach you _not_ to break into someone's house," I mean, you can't prove we broke into anything _. "_ Listen, Sheriff Forbes told me about everything you did today and while I appreciate it, I don't want you guys getting in trouble because of me. Okay?"

"If not for you, then who Uncle Ric? Besides we'd never break the law; it's wrong and Elena is a member of one of the founding families; not a good look." I laugh. Elle smirks.

"Well, still, I'm the one who's supposed to look after you, even if I suck at it." He finishes lamely.

"Okay, well, how about we just agree to take care of each other then?" Elena bargains.

"Deal. I'll see you when I get home." He hangs up.

"That's one problem solved." I say as I open the door.

"You can say it, Lexx." Elena voices to me. It's almost like her voice is louder now that we're out of the car and walking in an open space.

"How have you managed to hold on, Elle? You're the main person I expected to be falling apart," I sigh. "I just don't get it. Damon is pushing Stefan to his breaking point." I shake my head in disbelief. Damon had told me how responsible he felt for how undisciplined Stefan was when it came to human blood, so why was he trying to break him?

"I know it doesn't make sense, but at the beginning, after my parents died, there was something about being with Stefan that just felt safe." She had lost her parents, her foundation, in manner of seconds. She had never felt so utterly safe and content with a boy, not even Matt who she had known for sixteen years at that point. And then Stefan showed up on the first day of school; a new transfer student who she felt a instantaneous connection with after a forty-five minute conversation on the bridge at the back to school party and she was the happiest she felt in the four months since her parents' deaths.

"It hasn't been feeling like that lately." She nods her head in slight agreement.

"I know, believe me. Just saying it out loud sounds crazy," She sighs. "But it's like I knew that he would never stop loving me. It felt like I would never have to face anything alone again. Like he would always be there. Like he would never… " She trails off. I can see her eyes watering.

"Don't make me pull it out of you, like what?"

"Die," She finishes. "Like he would never die." _Elle…_

"Like how Miranda and Grayson did."

"I don't want to lose him, Lexx," She shakes her head sending tears flying to the left and the right. "I can't let him go. I can't just give up on him, not when he needs me."

"I think if we get Damon out the way, you could help. I think the best way to do that would be Bonnie." I suggest jokingly. She laughs as she wipes tears away.

"You know, she told us earlier that Abby said he was acting weird last night. Said he kept glancing at her in the mirror, he even gave her his _jacket_. Lexx, he's only ever done that one other time; the night of the Decade dance when she faked her death. And Bonnie was 'dead', why would she need a jacket?" She asks. _I told that boy he liked her, but it looks like he was already realizing that even if it was subconsciously._

"He likes her and whether he realizes it, he can't help but subconsciously show it," I explain. "But we can talk about this later," I pause. "Here, I got you something." I pull out the Gilbert journal and hand it to her.

"The journal? Lexx, when did you take this?"

"You were so busy freaking out when Meredith came back that you didn't notice." I laugh. We finally reach Jenna.

"How are you holding up?" She knew it must've shaken Lexx up seeing Stefan like that. "Were you beating up the punching back everyday for nine days straight after Jeremy told you about Jenna?" She'd seen the hurting on the punching bag back at Ric's apartment.

"Yeah. Which probably wasn't a good idea between cheer practice, avoiding Jeremy and that, I exercised my frustrations out." So she was frustrated with Jeremy but about what? That girl she mentioned back at the apartment seemed to rub her the wrong way.

"I meant Stefan." I shrug my shoulders.

"I never saw Ripper Stefan," There was the time when he was kidnapped and tortured and Elena fed him her blood because he was so weak from the torture. It sent him off the rails a bit, but it was nothing like the stories I was being told. "I've only heard the stories from you guys. Kinda of gives you a picture of what he was like when Niklaus met him in the twenties."

"Count yourself lucky then." Bonnie's voice chimes in. We turn to see her and Caroline.

"Couldn't stay away could you?" Elena jokes.

"Figured you might need us." Caroline responds. Elena and I look at each other.

"You were right."

* * *

Stefan is sitting in front of the fireplace when Damon enters the room.

"They let Ric go…not that Lexx is answering any of my calls. Sheriff Forbes says she's out of suspects again, but Ric is in the clear," Damon sees that his approach isn't working, so he tries the big brother role. "I know it may not seem like it, but you did really well tonight. And before you know it, you're gonna be the king of moderation," He jokes, but Stefan still doesn't reply. "Elena will understand."

"Doesn't really matter what Elena thinks." Stefan says emptily. They were still trying to navigate the muddy waters of their relationship and he knew tonight had set him back.

"Uh-uh, none of that. No more 'no humanity' Stefan. There's a road called recovery and we are on it." Stefan gets up and walks over to Damon.

"Why do you even care, huh? The whole solving a murder/brother bonding thing, trying to get Elena to hate you, what, do you feel guilty because you kissed her, is that it, Damon? Because you can stop, go back to hating me. It was a lot easier." Stefan finishes steely.

"Can you for one minute actually believe that I'm trying to help you?" Damon asks aggressively.

"I don't need your help." Stefan walks past him, bumping into his shoulder.

"You don't need my…are you kidding me? Do you remember what happened last time you said that?"

"What are you talking about?" Now Stefan was all ears.

"Nineteen twelve, Stefan. The last time I convinced you to drink human blood."

 **Mystic Falls, 1912**

Sage is fighting another man in the boxing ring. Damon and Stefan are standing together and watching.

"Go ahead, Stefan, pick one." Damon encourages.

"They're people, Damon." Stefan tries reasoning.

"Yes, they are people, Stefan. People with blood pumping through their veins, waiting to be opened up, and sucked dry. You've just forgotten how good it feels."

Stefan is staring at the man who Sage just knocked out. He's bleeding, causing Stefan to ache for a bite.

"Not him, Stefan, not him," Damon sees a woman across the ring. "Her, she's the one." He points out.

"I don't do that anymore."

"But you can, Stefan, _we_ can. Let the past be the past. Have a drink with me, brother." Stefan watches the woman exit the tent. He impulsively follows her outside and quickly zooms her away from prying eyes, before he feeds. Damon finds him with his his fangs buried in her neck and a hand on her waist outside.

"I knew you still had it in you," Damon walks over to him. "Don't be greedy." Stefan pushes Damon away and continues to feed. "Stefan…Stefan." Her head is ripped of her body before he can stop Stefan. He drops what's left of her in shock.

"Oh my god…oh my god, I'm sorry." Stefan falls on the ground next to her body and desperately tries to put her head back on.

"Stefan, stop. Stefan, stop." Damon grabs Stefan's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Stefan pushes him away. "What did you do to me!" He screams.

"Shh, Stefan." Damon tries to quiet him as not to draw attention to themselves.

"What did you do to me?" He whispers.

"You just need to learn how to stop. I can help you." He offers.

Stefan gets up and retreats from the corpse. "I don't need your help." He replies, stumbling into the woods still in shock of what he's just done.

 **Present Day**

"The Founder's Council killer had nothing on you. By the decade's end, they were calling you the Ripper of Monterrey. I let you walk away. I watched you go over the edge, I didn't do anything to stop you." He expresses sorrowfully.

"You couldn't have." It had been so traumatic for him, his brain had blocked it out. Sometimes he forgot that he hadn't always been in control of his bloodlust. Maybe Damon was right in pushing him.

"Sure I could of. But I just didn't want to," He pauses. "But I want to now. And whenever you go too far, I will be there to pull you back. Every second, every day, till you don't need me." He wasn't leaving when he needed him again. He and Damon had been on opposing sides for so long, he sometimes forgot what it was like having him be concerned about him.

"Why?" But it comes out as a whisper.

"'Cause you're my brother," Damon replies back fiercely. "I already abandoned you when I let Katherine get in between us and I almost did the same thing with Elena, but I'll be damned if I leave you this time." All Stefan manages is a weak nod as not to let the tears that are threatening to flow if he opens mouth to respond.

* * *

"Elle, we need to get to Damon and Stefan quick before Caroline and Bonnie beat us there. There's no way going to the hospital is an option!" I yell. Was she crazy? "We can't compel a whole hospital! What explanation do we give to them if they ask us what happened? You know the news is gonna travel fast!"

"I…I don't know, but we can't afford to let, Ri-" The sound of the front door being opening, catches our attention. It's Ric. _Any plans of getting what we needed and leaving quickly_ , _were shot to hell._ Elena walks over to him.

"Are you okay?" She asks, beating me to the punch.

"Yeah." _Well, you might not be when you find out what just happened._

"Are you sure?" I ask skeptically. Not everyday, the girl you're kind of sorta dating, goes around calling you a 'murderer'.

"Yeah, I'm alright." And that's all we need to hear, before we're wrapping him in a hug. We pull away a few seconds later.

"I was gonna make some coffee, you guys want any?"

"We're good. We were waiting until you got home before we headed to Bonnie's. Damon's compulsion isn't sticking; Jeremy mentioned coming back the night I told him Lexx told us she knew about Jenna." Elena covers.I haven't told her Jeremy had said anything the night Ric was admitted to the hospital, so either the compulsion was losing it's touch or it was a coincidence. How often did two things like that occur and not be connected? She already has the keys in her hand and heading for the front door.

"Be safe!" He yells in a rush as we slam the door. "I expected my welcome back to be longer."

* * *

Damon is in the parlor, playing the piano when Stefan walks in with a book."So, I, uh dug into the old family archives from the nineteen hundreds."

"So now you want to be helpful?" Damon asks with slight snark.

"Want me to go back to being mad at you?" Stefan suggests breezily.

"What'd you find?"

"Well, nothing from nineteen twelve. They never did arrest anyone for the Founder's murders," Stefan places the open book in front of Damon. "But they did get a confession ten years later."

"They did? Who?" Guess it was never too late to confess.

"Jonathan Gilbert's granddaughter, Samantha. They assumed she was crazy, locked her up in an insane asylum." Now this was shaping up to be odd.

"Then what?" Damon wanted to know if this was one note or if there was more.

"Trail ends there. I mean, she was a Founder, you know how they like to look out for their own."

"Samantha Gilbert," He muses. "That is very…weird."

"Why?" Stefan raises his eyebrow curiously.

"Because I'm pretty sure I had already killed her." Comes his answer.

* * *

"So how much of the journal were you able to get to before…" It still didn't seem real.

"It's hard to tell. I mean, at first I thought it was Jonathan Gilbert's journal, but it ended up being his granddaughter's, who apparently, went just as crazy as he did. So, great genes, huh?" She's slightly hysterical and going over the speed limit. _And she had the right to be right now._

"Well, at least you have something to look forward to if being a vampire slayer doesn't work out," I take a breath to steel my nerves for the question I'm about to ask. "What you told Ric back there, was it true?"

"Yeah," She blows out a sigh. "I've been meaning to ask Bon, but a new problem always pops up like a uninvited guest." Same thing with me. How in the hell was he able to even think, let alone formulate a sentence, to think about coming back? It could be is ring; Uncle Ric's was taking longer to heal him so maybe by default, Jeremy's was having problems holding the compulsion.

"Was it the only time it happened?" I ask tentatively. Could the rings be in sync?

"Yeah, but..." The last time it was broken, he'd found out Anna was a vampire and connected the dots to Vicki being one too; so was the compulsion wearing thin or had another girl caused breaks in the compulsion? No, that couldn't be it. As quick as he alluded to coming back it, seemed to snap back into place once he heard Mr. Maxwell. He hadn't said anything since. "It shouldn't have happened."

* * *

Alaric hears a knock at the front door. He opens it only to see Meredith.

"I know what this looks like." She says once he opens the door.

"Yeah, well, I sure as hell don't. You shoot me, you have me thrown in jail, make my niece cry, and then you have me freed?" He lists off.

"I did it for you, Ric. I forged the coroner's note to clear your name." She confesses. She was starting to sound like those Lifetime movies Lexx always like to watch.

"Oh, you know what, people are right. You are psycho." Alaric starts to close the door, but Meredith stops him.

"NO! Now that you've been cleared, they'll look somewhere else, they won't look your way again. Please," She pleads. "You have no reason, but I need you to trust me anyway. If you let me in I can explain." Alaric widens the door so she can come in. She makes her way to the kitchen and pulls out a bunch of folders. Alaric picks up a folder with crime scene evidence in it.

"Like the Sheriff said, the victims were killed with your weapons."

"Yeah, but I was attacked." Alaric reasons.

"With your own knife. A wound that could have been self-inflicted."

"It's impossible! I would know if I were killing people."

"Would you?" She questions unconvinced. "Have you had any blackouts, instances of lost time?" His eyes take on a look of understanding.

"You're insane." He says weakly.

"You have, haven't you? Ric, if I can help you, you have to let me before this gets any worse. You wear a ring that lets you cheat death, Ric. How many times can you die before it changes you?" Alaric collapses into a kitchen chair. Meredith follows suit. "I think you're sick and I want to help you. This has happened before, almost a hundred years ago."

* * *

"So, you think Samantha Gilbert is still alive running around Mystic Falls, killing Founders?" Stefan asks, not believing what he's hearing.

"It's not possible," Damon didn't know if he believed his own theory. "If she became a vampire, we'd know about it, right?" There's no way both of them had never had at least one run in with her.

"Then she must have had a ring that brought her back to life, I mean she was a Gilbert, right?" Now Stefan was convincing himself. "You know how people were about their family heirlooms back in that time. These rings have been passed on for generations and still exist today."

"Yeah, but even if she had a ring, she wouldn't be alive today," The rings repelled one thing; the supernatural. "It doesn't protect her from old age or bullets." They'd learned that from Jeremy.

"Jonathan Gilbert only made two of those rings. Jeremy has one of them and the other's…"

"Alaric's," Damon finishes, just as he hears Bonnie scream his name. "Bonnie!" He races out quickly with Stefan and sees Elena and Caroline carrying a woman. Lexx isn't far behind but her eyes are slightly unfocused. "What exactly did you four go get yourselves into?" He asks crossing his arms.

"Damon…just help us." Elena whines. She was heavy.

"Elena, who is th-" Stefan stops once as he sees the curtain of hair move has Caroline readjusts her in her arms.

"How is this possible?" Damon voice drops to a whisper at the sight in front of him.

"Just help us get her inside, you can ask questions later!" Bonnie yells.

* * *

"How's she doing?" Elena asks Stefan, putting down the journal.

"She's stable, but she's severely dehydrated," He pauses. "About earlier, in the alley-" Stefan explains.

"Do you know how long she'd been awake before we came?" Elena asks, completely ignoring his statement. He sighs.

"No telling how long she had been awake before you guys came. I've got her hooked to an I.V. She's sleeping now." Stefan takes a seat on the sofa across from me.

"This outranks everything that has happened today." I sigh.

"No way this night gets any more bizarre." Bonnie voices as Damon wags his finger at her.

"There's no way that whatever you're about to say, tops this shit Damon." Caroline groans.

"Stefan and I are pretty sure, Ric is the one killing everyone." He announces. _I will stake you…_

"Damon, now is not the time for your morbid sense of humor, okay?" I warn. He could tell jokes later when I wasn't as aggravated.

"The coroner's report got the time of death wrong, so you can turn in your badge, _Detective_." If it wasn't obvious, Bonnie was still heated about what she saw in the alleyway. He didn't need to know that Elena and Lexx had told her and Caroline about the hidden compartment in her Meredith's closet; he was liable to go track her down and make good on his threat.

"I think they're right." Elena replies slowly. I launch off the couch.

"We broke into Meredith's house a few hours ago to prove he was innocent, we lied about it to Sheriff Forbes." Bonnie turns to Damon.

"And we just spent the whole day trying to figure out who was setting him up." Had she walked into an alternate universe in the last six seconds?

"I for one, would like to see said evidence that suddenly has you guys singing a different tune." Caroline chimes in.

"I know why we think Ric is behind this, but what's your reasoning Elena?" Stefan asks. Earlier he'd been her shoulder to lean on when we got here, but whatever they'd just talked about had made him distance himself. _He couldn't have been stupid enough to bring up his Ripper escapade…could he?_

"When we broke into Meredith's house, Lexx found a journal. At first I thought it was Jonathan Gilbert's, but it turned out to be his granddaughter's, Samantha." _That wasn't proof…_

"There's that name again." Damon voices.

"So it's not the first time it's came up?" Bonnie inquires.

"Nope."

"Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"You mean when I didn't know or when you were pulling Elena away?" If possible, the air in the room gets thicker. It was still to soon to talk about it and we had more pressing matters to deal with than Damon acting out 'cause he was upset that Bonnie didn't give him a chance to explain himself. I try gaining control of the situation.

"And a name you all know and a journal means what to me?" I raise my eyebrow. Elena shows me the journal.

 **Mystic Falls, 1912**

Zachariah is walking through the town square when he is stabbed. Samantha Gilbert is the one whose murdered him and she's wearing the same ring Alaric has.

 **Present Day**

"He's being _possessed_ by one of your ancestors because of the ring," I start in astonishment.

"Killing people," Bonnie adds.

"And his ex-girlfriend is now…back from the dead?" Caroline finishes. What the fuck was with this town?

"And he knows none of it," Elena sighs, tugging on her hair slightly. "Any chance this is part is just a bad dream?"

"Yep. Just another Thursday in Mystic Falls." Damon takes a sip of whiskey from his glass.

* * *

Uh-oh, did Damon just undo all the progress he made with Bonnie? How long do you think Jenna was awake?

Sorry about being late on the update; I heard Still Star-Crossed got moved to from Mondays to Saturdays 'cause apparently a period drama where black people are royalty instead of servants or not existing on shows like _Reign_ or _The Tudors_ , then no one watches.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N** : Happy Eating on this day America gained its Independence, but us slaves got ours on Juneetenth.

Musical Inspiration: Gasoline - Halsey

* * *

Break On Through or Fall In Part I

Alaric is lying down on an MRI machine. Meredith, Elena and Lexx are on the other side of the mirror, waiting for a technician to scan Alaric.

"What exactly are you looking for?" I ask.

"I don't know. A tumor, vascular anomalies, anything physical that might explain his behavior. If it's medical, I can treat it."

"What's our next move if it's not?" Elena questions.

"Well, then we'll deal with that too." _You sound confident, but how?_

"When we leave, I think we should go see Bon." She nods her head in agreement. A technician slides Alaric inside the machine. Alaric stares at his reflection in the mirror placed above him in the MRI.

"When did you suspect him? That it was Alaric who was killing all of those people?" Elena asks curiously.

"It was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story my Grandmother told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal," She leans on the table and turns towards us. "I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busy-bodies." _Girl, that wasn't a secret._

"Yeah, Damon seems to think so too," I snicker, thinking back to when she knocked him out and drained his blood. "But then, why protect him? Why the need to make such an elaborate plan?" I ask exasperatedly.

"Because I'm a doctor, I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over. And because when he and I first met I felt like… I don't know, I- I just kind of want to help him." Elena and I swap looks. I hope that wasn't the sound of you catching feelings, because Jenna is very much alive and being pumped full of liquids at a room somewhere in the Salvatore Boarding house.

"She didn't answer that last question." Elena whispers to me.

"Jenna always did have bad timing, huh?" I continues to stare at his reflection in the mirror in the MRI machine. His reflection glares down at him, but Alaric is not making the same expression. Alaric starts to panic.

"Why is his heart rate going up, what's wrong?" I ask frantically. Meredith talks to him over the speaker.

"Everything alright in there?" Alaric closes his eyes and opens them, he stares at his reflection again; its expression is the same as his this time.

"Yeah," He swallows hard. "Yeah, everything's okay."

* * *

Alaric is in a hospital room getting ready to leave. Elena comes in. "Meredith says that everything is normal." Elena says with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well, everything is normal," He snaps, hurriedly shoves his phone and the rest of his belongings, into his pocket. "Because there is nothing wrong with me; I didn't kill Brian Walters and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach." He was taking his frustration out on Elena and I was probably the next target.

"Look, I'm gonna call Bonnie, ask if she or Abby know anything; the rings were made by a Bennett witch so maybe she can reverse the damage." She says, leaving the room hastily.

"Elena…" He sighs, calling after her. Alaric looks down at the ring and taps the desk. "Or I did and I've gone insane, just like her ancestor who wore that ring," Alaric picks it up. _So he was scared._ Uncle Ric pushes the ring towards me. "Take it. I don't want it anymore."Samantha couldn't get to him if he wasn't wearing it.

"You live in a town running over with vamps, Originals, and hybrids. If you end up dead and we find out you weren't the one killing people, you're gonna be really upset with yourself," I say, stressing the point about him being human. "We already lost Jenna." And while we had got her back, we didn't know how she was alive let alone if she would pull through. He winces and tugs his hand through his hair.

"And if I am the one killing all of these people, what then, Lexx?" He wasn't about to be a mindless puppet; that was a hybrid's job. "Samantha won't have a body to do it with if I'm not wearing it," He sighs and takes a deep breathe. "Kid…if I am the one doing all of this that means you and Elena cou-" My arms are pulling him into a hug before my mind realizes it.

"We're gonna find out what's going with you and we're gonna fix it, I swear Uncle Ric." I feel him tighten his grip and nod his head. We break apart and I take the ring off the desk as Damon enters the room.

"You ready to ditch this House of Horrors?" He recoils back once he takes in Alaric's form. "Ohf, you look terrible." You can always count on Damon to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, let me check out of here." Uncle Ric leaves the room.

"Thank you." I say gratefully. He nods his head.

* * *

Elena is already in her car when I come out of the hospital with Damon following behind me.

"Don't worry about him. Take him out for chicken soup, get him a martini, and make sure he doesn't kill anybody." He lists easily. Every town has to have a local dick and since Tyler has since been reformed, that left Damon to fill the spot.

"Don't take me saying 'thank you' has an initiative to talk to me," I skid to a stop beside him. I look around to make sure no one is the parking lot. "You unleashed Stefan even through you know he fell off the wagon four states ago!" I still felt disgusted.

"Here I was thinking Elena would be biting my ear off about Stefan and you would need my shoulder to cry on with Ric." He states matter of factly. Well, I like to switch it up.

"How could you just let Stefan go on some feeding frenzy free-for-all?" Caroline and Bonnie had told me he was jittery, couldn't say still for five minutes. " _Bonnie_ saw you." I add to deepen the blow. It works; he looks away quickly before regaining his composure.

"Everyone needs to stop bringing Bonnie up like she's gonna change what I do or how I feel!" He snaps. _Uh..._

"Who do you think you're talking to?" He had better calm down. "I will stake you, witnesses be damned and then you won't have to worry about anyone else bringing up Bonnie," And who was everyone? "Maybe people treat Bonnie like the answer to everything when it comes you, because you listen to her. If she tells you there's another way to go about doing something, you take it into consideration, when you need help executing a plan, you call her," Elena was the last person he listened too and he always thought she had the worst ideas. "When you guys work as a team, it's like watching a dynamic duo get shit done." Damon gives me a pensive look.

"And what?" He folds his arms defensively. "You're saying I ruined that? Did she say something to you?" He asks tentatively. She wouldn't talk him two nights ago after they brought Jenna to the house and she wouldn't answer her door. This boy was so obvious. How the hell didn't he see how much her opinion of him meant?

"She was too busy trying to get away after watching you force Stefan's hand. If she had known that was how you were gonna deal with it, she would've went with you instead of Rebekah."

"Then I would've told her what I'm about to tell you; I didn't let him do anything," He didn't have to give a command for Stefan act on desires.

"If you had went to her house with that line, she would've gave you an aneurysm." Where was she when you needed her?

"If you want to get nit-picky about it, I _made_ him." He clarifies. _Oh, you slick son of a bitch!_

"Why would you do that? What's the goal you're trying to reach here, Damon?" I ask, shrugging my shoulder at a lost and putting my hand on my neck. He's momentarily distracted by my sweater sleeve sliding down, revealing the fading bruises left by Niklaus.

"We're vampires Lexx; we need human blood to survive. We're predators, not puppies." He states. Did he know no bounds?

"Stef found a way around it before and he can do again if you give him a chance instead of forcing his hand, Big Brother Damon." I cough out as my chest constricts slightly.

"Stefan has built himself a delusional wagon which, he has repeatedly fallen off of," He facts. She didn't know him in nineteen twelve. "What he needs to learn is control."

"He was able to manage when he was drinking my blood in small amounts every single day." Elena voices walking up behind me. I cross my arms. I think she's one-upped him.

"Ah, yes, back when you were in love and it was all rainbows and unicorns and Bonnie didn't like Stefan." He replies back sarcastically.

"I'm just saying, maybe you're not the right person to be teaching Stefan about self-control." Elena counters. I rub my chest.

"Especially when you like to snap peoples' necks 'cause their sisters don't wanna kiss you." It doesn't escape my notice that Damon felt the need to add that Bonnie wasn't so receptive to Stefan back when things that go bump in the night started up in Mystic Falls.

"Oh, that's golden! I thought you didn't like being kept in the dark, but here you are, expecting me to take advice from the girl who hasn't told her Uncle his dead girlfriend is alive." I feel his verbal punch reach out and make contact with my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs. Damon's words have wrapped around my throat, holding it in a vice like grip, stifling my already labored breathing.

I unsteadily try to walk to Elle's car, still reeling from the unexpected impact of Damon's blow. I see Damon make a move to help me, but my body tenses on reflex, causing him to stop. I feel one of Elena's arms slip around my waist and the other pull my arm around her shoulder until we make it to the passenger's side door. I guess I hadn't heard her get out. I see her give Damon a woeful look.

"I thought Bonnie told you not to kick a girl when she's already down." She gets into the driver's side and turns over the engine.

Damon takes a startled step back. He knew Lexx was doing the right thing by keeping Jenna a secret; there was still a possibility that she might not make through the week and that wouldn't do Ric any good right now. He didn't have to worry about Bonnie not talking to anymore; after today, she was gonna hunt him down until the only thing he could see were black spots until he passed out.

* * *

Construction workers are restoring the Wickery Bridge; the townspeople are there for the restoration fundraiser. Alaric, Meredith Bonnie and Damon arrive. Damon looks at Rebekah who is speaking to Carol Lockwood.

"Rebekah's up to something." Bonnie observes out loud. She was adamant about sticking to their sides like a blonde fungus. She couldn't figure out if Klaus had her working a side operation or if she wanted to spend time with Matt. She was gonna talk to him about that...

"Yeah, she's been snooping around in places she shouldn't be," Damon says in agreeance, hoping for Bonnie to reply. She ignores him. "If you're not gonna play nice, witch, why'd you come?" He asks, slightly annoyed she won't answer him.

"How are you feeling so far, Mr. Saltzman?" Bonnie asks, ignoring Damon's question.

"I'm fine, Bonnie. And Lexx didn't have to have you come here to keep an eye on me," He sighs. "Tell me again, why are we here?" The agitation in his voice is clear.

"Ric, the world can't stop just because you're an accidental psycho killer." Is Damon's respond.

"Do you have any tact whatsoever?" Meredith questions, slightly stunned at his remark.

"Oh, he does; he had plenty when he was helping Stefan last night." Bonnie says sweetly as Carol approaches them.

"Alaric, I'm glad you're here. Did you bring the sign?" At Alaric's confused face, she elaborates. "The restored Wickery Bridge sign, the history department promised me you'd have it today."

"I-I don't have the sign actually it slipped my mind. I've been…busy." He was too busy being possessed and murdering people. Carol nods her head in understanding; she knew better than anyone how hard it was to forget everyday things when your town was always brimming with new non-human problems.

"Well, it's not an emergency. We'll, just um, unveil it when the bridge is complete." Carol says before leaving.

"Get me out of here." Alaric whispers.

"My pleasure." Meredith says happily.

"I'm gonna stick around for a bit." Damon voices. Damon finds Sage in the audience. She looks back and smiles.

"Who is that?" Alaric asks.

"Blast from the past." And just the distraction he needed.

"Is she a vampire?" Was she here to help or cause problems?

"Yep." Damon walks over to Sage, leaving Alaric behind.

"Maybe you should go with him, Bonnie." Alaric suggests, watching Damon walk through the crowd.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me." She keeps her eyes on Damon.

"You're the only one here capable of handling him if anything happens." He was right about that.

"Make sure he takes it easy for Lexx's sake." Meredith nods her heads. Bonnie follows behind Damon.

"Damon Salvatore, my favorite student." Sage speaks once he makes it to her.

"Sage, my hottest teacher. What are you doing here?"

"I'm just passing through."

"If I've learned anything since Damon has got here, it's that nobody just passes through Mystic Falls. Not without a reason at least." Bonnie announces to the duo.

"Look what the cat dragged in." Rebekah voices, making her presence known to the trio. Sage coyly smiles at the ground.

"Easy there, Rebekah. You know she use to beat men for sport."

"She always was quite common." Rebekah delivers her snide comment, not missing a beat.

"Rebekah. What a happy surprise." Sage counters. Rebekah didn't have time for pleasantries.

"What are you doing here Sage?" She hasn't see her in a odd eight-hundred years and was fine with keeping it that way.

"Well, I heard Finn was finally freed from that casket your rageaholic brother, Klaus carted him around in." He turned her so they could spend eternity together and spent the last nine-hundred years in a coffin like a vampire a from a movie.

"Mmm, Finn, you just missed him," Rebekah answers with false sadness. "He left town and didn't tell a soul where he was going." She pouts.

"He probably went looking for me." Sage retorts confidently.

"Or quite possibly he forgot all about you." Rebekah shoots back.

"Common or not, you don't forget the first woman you ever loved." She smiles. Rebekah clenches her jaw.

"No? Cause he didn't seem to mention you. Sorry you came all this way for nothing. Have a nice life." And with that, she takes her leave.

"God, I hate that elitist Original bitch."

* * *

Stefan walks to the parlor with a blood bag in his hand, about to pour it into a glass when he hears footsteps and Elena appears with a book in her hands. She stops and looks at Stefan.

"Hi." She speaks, slightly confused at his presence. Had Damon set this up? Maybe Lexx?

"Hey." He puts the blood bag down on the table.

"Damon told Alaric that there was no one home, otherwise I would have…"

"I just got home." He answers quickly. She can't say she's surprised at how fast he answers her, but she's still a little put off by it.

"I just came by to check on Jenna, see if anything changed, and pick up this book that you found on my ancestor, Samantha."

"That's fine." He smiles tensely. Elena takes a few steps towards Stefan, deciding to take Bonnie's advice from last night; _you're gonna have to make the first move, give him something to reach for._

"How are you doing?" She asks, extending him an olive branch. "Damon said that you were-"

"Yeah, I'm, um, I'm okay," He replies, cutting her off. "Did you get everything you need?" She tries taking a breath, but it gets caught in her throat, constricting her voice.

"Yeah," She can tell Bonnie she tried at least. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help." She starts to leave.

"You don't have to read that, you know," Elena turns around to face him at his sudden announcement. "I can just tell you what happened. Samantha Gilbert was committed to an insane asylum; she tried to give herself a lobotomy with a knitting needle, and bled to death on the floor of her cell. If the same thing is happening to Alaric then there is nothing you can do." He says somberly. Lexx wasn't gonna take this well. She purses her lips disapprovingly.

"Okay, well…I'm gonna let you get back to, um…whatever it was you were doing." Elena leaves. Stefan picks up the blood bag.

"You are an idiot, Stefan." He whispers to himself.

"Couldn't agree with you more." At the sudden ringing out of a voice, Stefan turns around to see Lexx coming down the steps and into the parlor.

"What are you doing here?" He asks surprised. Elena hadn't mentioned Lexx was with her.

"I rode with Elle. I got out to check on Jenna," I pause as a smile stretches across my face. "She woke up for a few seconds."

"Did she seem coherent?" He asks quickly.

"She asked why she was here, she knew this was your house. I told her she'd be fine before she went back out."

"That's good. That means she remembers her life as a human." His answer is full of hope and shines some light at the end of the tunnel for Lexx.

"Wait, didn't you hear me coming down the stairs?" He did have vampire hearing…

"No, I, uh…" He leaves the sentence uncompleted.

"Was too distracted by Elena to notice?" I suggest, letting out a weak laugh. _Elena was gonna love this!_

"Lexx, how much of that did you hear?" He asks timidly. There was no way she'd be making a joke if she'd heard what Samantha did to herself, but better safe than sorry. It hadn't escaped him that Lexx's usual light seemed to have dimmed a little. Looked like the situation with Alaric was stressing her out.

"I left once you told her you'd just got home. No point in watching her try to drag more than four words out of you," I sigh. "You have a way of unfairly beating yourself up, Stef." I know he knows I'm talking about two nights ago.

"Lexx." He sighs.

"No, okay," I was so tried of Stefan pushing Elena and everyone else out just 'cause he thought he had to do this on his own. "I know you hadn't a drop of human blood since you drove Elena on Wickery Bridge!"

"Dammit," He sighs. "Did Damon tell you?" I nod my head. "What difference does that make now that Elena has seen me be the monster I've always been fighting, Lexx!" He yells, throwing the blood bag into the wall where it splatters. "I barely had enough restraint to stop from biting that girl last night, I just fed on the blood that was already there, but what does that matter after how Elena saw me!" Now the glass cup off the table has made been thrown into the fireplace.

"YOU TELL HER YOU FOUGHT FOR HER!" I scream. "That you fought every instinct running through your body, because you want a chance to be together, because the love you have for her is stronger than your need for blood!" _I shouldn't have to yell about something so obvious!_

Stefan head snaps up suddenly at the use of Lexx's word. She sounded like Klaus.

"Maybe it's better if she moves on from me. Lives a normal life." He can't help but think back to when Klaus suggested the same thing with her and Matt.

"This is the same girl that tracked you down to your old apartment in Chicago and risked Niklaus finding out she was alive, just so she could see you…so, I don't think she's gonna pick normal voluntarily." He was stupid thinking a few words would deter her.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're trying to distract yourself from Klaus obvious feelings for you by focusing on Elena and me." _Where the hell had that come from?_ Did he know about the conversation we had that night at the ball? I hadn't told anyone...

"Niklaus wants someone to bind his time with until he can leave Mystic Falls with Elena. I'm convinced it's just a ploy to try to distract me so he has one less 'Save Elena' crusader to worry about. You're trying to change the subject, Stef." And I wasn't gonna let him.

"You sure, 'cause you two looked cozy at the ball and he got pretty jealous when he thought you were flirting with Elijah." He smirks. If this was how he felt, then he would have a field day when he find out about the conversation we had when I was bait.

"If you wanted Elena to move on so bad, why call her on her birthday?" Stefan was such a shit actor.

"I lost her the minute I left town." He dodges.

"Then why did you kiss her, why did you stay when you dropped her off after the ball?" He shifts his eyes to the busted blood bag. "The answer is because you still love her and no amount of denying it is gonna change that."

"It doesn't matter, Lexx. I've made up my mind." He'd already decided.

"Funny," I walk towards the front door, grab the handle and hold it halfway opened. "I was gonna say the same thing about Elena." And with that, I close it.

* * *

"So, you and Finn are together?" Bonnie asks Sage as she and Damon are walking through the woods. If she were honest, she was curious about how'd they met. If she were honest, she was curious about how'd they met and having her talk about Finn was a good way to distract her in case she tried something.

"He's my one true love. He turned me so we could be together forever."

"I met him awhile back." Bonnie voices. Sage whips head around quickly.

"He's amazing isn't he?" Her eyes shine and a wistful smile stretches across her face. Bonnie's eyes soften.

"He's a bit uptight." She replies.

"It's part of his charm," She laughs. "He's funny and once he opens up, it's hard not to fall for him. We were gonna leave Italy when Klaus daggered him and locked him away and I've been waiting ever since," She pauses. "Please don't tell me that you and Rebekah are friends." She says with obvious disdain in her voice. Bonnie rolls her eyes.

"Not even close. She thinks if you're on the same level as her then you're beneath her."

"Not unless you count flirting." Damon responds.

"Good, cause her and Klaus always treated me like some peasant whore." She was still annoyed over it.

"Ah, she's just lurking around because she wants something from me," Maybe it was sex? "Can't figure out what it is though."

"She's was asking about his family history last night." Bonnie offers up.

"Why don't you get inside her head and find it?" Sage suggest to Damon.

"Cause it's impossible; she's too strong."

"I bet I could get in there." Sage states confidently.

"How would you do that?" Damon puts his hand out, gesturing Bonnie to stop; no need in getting her hopes up.

"Sage, she's an Original, it's not gonna happen." Had he forgotten everything he was taught?

"Rebekah may be an Original, but she's a girl. You find her weakness and exploit it and I'll walk right in. That is, if you two want my help." Bonnie can tell Damon's considering it. He smiles.

"Consider that a yes." Bonnie voices to Sage.

"I'm not sure how you plan on getting in Rebekah's head, but if you're thinking about sending Damon in, that's not gonna work; she's already said she wouldn't sleep with Damon and I'm pretty sure she has standards." Bonnie says, breaking apart their plan. Damon eyes light up with an idea.

"Then I'll call in backup." Bonnie gives him a confused and is about to ask him what he means, then decides against it.

"Maybe the less I know, the better."

* * *

Rebekah is walking past the catering table, when Damon comes up behind her.

"Did I ever tell you, you're sexy when you're bitchy?"

"We're talking now, are we? 'Cause you were quite rude the other day, using me to help you with Stefan and then shooing me away like a stray dog." She was a little put off by it.

"Oh, but that was brother business, you can't hold that against me. Besides, I really did appreciate your help even if I don't show it." He says flirting.

"You were mean." She replies quickly.

"You _like_ mean." He counters.

"No, I like nice guys, like, _Matt_ ," She responds. "And no, I don't."

"No? You didn't get a thrill back there pushing Sage down, crushing her dreams of true love?" Rebekah thinks about it for a second.

"Maybe a little."

"Excuse me." A boy steps in between them, interrupting their conversation.

"Matt." Rebekah states, surprised that he's here.

"Oh," He didn't expect to see her at something like this. "Hey, Rebekah." He smiles.

"What're you doing here?" She's smiling back.

"Mr. Enger asked if he could use my truck to load some of the equipment he's using for Wickery Bridge." He reaches for a cup.

"Don't tell me you drove." He laughs at the panicked look on her face.

"No. I just nursed my injury." He holds up his cast covered hand.

"How's your hand doing?" She asks taking a step towards him. Matt flexes his hand.

"It's doing a hell of a lot better than it would have what with my lack of health insurance." He laughs. Rebekah smiles. Damon rolls his eyes.

"Still not a Maserati, is it?" She jokes before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Matt follows her movement. The hell? Since when did the two of them have inside jokes? Last time Damon checked, Kol who was very much Rebekah's brother, fractured his hand.

"No," He laughs. "No, it's not," He grabs a few of the cookies off the plate and fills his cup with juice."I'll see you around, Rebekah." He walks backward so he can see her smile before turning around and walking a few feet away where he stops in front of a girl with brown hair and hands her the drink and cookies. She takes them before lopping her arm with Matt's and walking off. Rebekah clenches her jaw.

"I hope she chokes on them."

"See? Mean," Damon states, picking up the conversation where it left off. "Can Sage and I interest you in a drink back at the house?" He asks looking her up and down.

"Not a chance in hell." What was she, desperate?

"Well, you know what they say, two's company, three's a party and Mutt seems to be preoccupied," Rebekah and Damon stare at each other for a while neither of them blinking. Damon relents. "Fine," He brushes past her. "Enjoy the rest of your day." He walks away, leaving Rebekah looking puzzled.

"Did you just compel Dana Enger?" Bonnie asks once Damon he comes back to his car. First Klaus, now Damon; Dana had a habit of getting compelled.

"Some equipment might have disappeared and I suggested that Mr. Enger's daughter bring it. Just so happens that her cars' in the shop and she's neighbors with Matt."

"Sounds like yes and you got Matt involved."

"Thought 'the less I know, the better' was your mantra?" He states while opening her door.

"A girl has the right to be curious when you drag unsuspecting people into this mess." The engine turning over drowns out her no doubt judgy statement. He backs out of the pine needled covered dirt and onto the road. He sighs.

"Bonnie," She ignores him. "Bonnie," He calls softly. She looks over at him. "She's not gonna get hurt, Rebekah doesn't even know I compelled her, and she likes Matt for whatever unknown reason," He takes his eyes off the road to look at her. "They're fine." Bonnie sighs, her shoulder sag.

"Alright," She caves. "But if they're not, there's a brain aneurysm waiting for you." She hadn't talked to Lexx yet. He might has well enjoy the last few moments he had while she was talking him.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Bon Bon."

* * *

Damon obviously likes Bonnie right ? What are your theories on how Jenna is alive? And that Mabekah scene!


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I do not own SparkNotes, I only used it when I wanted to be lazy and finish an assignment without putting so much time into it.

* * *

Break On Through or Fall In Part II

Alaric is in the dining room, reading through Meredith's file on him. Meredith walks over to the table with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

"I really don't think you should be looking through that stuff." She says placing the glasses on the table.

"Ah, it's the truth, restraining orders and all; my life in a series of police reports." He sighs.

"You don't strike me as an angry guy. Which sounds weird given everything, but you don't." She bites her lip obviously flirting, but Alaric misses it.

"Yeah, well I was stupid when I was younger. But, listen, it's not like these guys didn't have it coming; I mean this guy here," He picks up a picture. "Broke a beer bottle over a bartender's head. This one," He picks up another picture. "Hit his girlfriend. And he," He stops himself as he looks at a new picture. "Okay this guy was just a douche, " Meredith and Alaric laugh. "Everyone needs to find a way to deal with their dark side. Some people meditate, I became a vampire hunter."

"Mm, semi-retired. " She corrects.

"Listen, there's something that's not in these reports that I need to tell you about." Alaric suddenly turns the conversation serious.

"Sounds ominous. Shoot."

"Your cousin, Logan Fell, the one who was vampire slayed. I did the slaying." Alaric admits. Meredith is quiet for a few seconds.

"The vampire thing, it's not my fight; I use their blood for what I need and leave the judgment to everyone else. Although, I have kind of been wondering why you never drove a stake through Damon's heart." He looked like he should've had two in him already. Alaric laughs.

"I tried once. He killed me," Meredith's face becomes shocked. "Yeah, figures," Alaric rubs the finger where the ring used to be. "The thing that started all this ring stuff was me being angry enough to think I could take on a vampire in the first place." Meredith takes his hand and puts it in between both of hers. She smiles at him. Alaric tenses his free hand, before using the hand Meredith has to pat hers awkwardly before removing his hand from hers altogether and reaching for the whiskey.

* * *

"So, do you think there's anything you can do to help Ric?" Elena asks Bonnie. She sets the cup of tea down in front of Bonnie before taking the seat next to her at the counter. It was nice being back home with everyone; seemed like we hadn't been together in a while.

"Well, I've never had to deal with a ring possessing someone before, so I'd have to check the spell books." Bonnie takes a sip of her tea.

"Guess we should've figured since the ring is encased with supernatural abilities that it was possible to be possessed by it." Caroline voices from beside me.

"Maybe we missed it in the manual." Bonnie offers up. All of two seconds have passed before we're laughing _. Yeah, we needed that._ Feels as if some of the tension has left the room.

"Thanks, Bon. We appreciate it." I thank her.

"We're friends, Lexx," Bonnie waves her hands, brushing me off. "You don't have to thank me."

"I know we're friends, I just don't want you thinking we only care about your magic."

"Lexx, you have bruises on your arms from where Klaus was holding you," She glances at my covered arms where the tell-tale bruises are hiding. "Elena risked Rebekah killing her to get a text to you to save me and Care risked Elena's friendship to make sure me and my Mom weren't hurt. Trust me, I know you all care." Elena wraps her arm around Bonnie's and leans on her shoulder.

"Nice to know I still have one friend on my side." I lightly joke, referring to Damon.

"What are you talking about Lexx?" Care asks.

"It's nothing." I find myself reaching for my chest to see if I've recovered. It still hurt.

"Damon and her got into it at the hospital earlier." Elena tells her. _Did she really just say that?_

"Elena!" She had the nerve to look at me sheepishly. I wasn't trying to get into this right now.

"What? You did." She takes a sip from her cup.

"Why would he be mad at you?" Bonnie questions. Damon would never admit, but Lexx was probably one of his best friends besides Alaric.

"You know Damon; he likes the band-aid ripped off fast so he can deal with the pain all at once instead of dragging it out by going slow." I sigh.

"You mean...Jenna?" Caroline guesses. I nod my head. "Lexx, you shouldn't be feeling guilty over that, Alaric has too much on his plate right now."

"Damon has no right trying to guilt trip with what he did to Stefan." Elena chimes in. Unbeknownst to her, that was how the argument had started.

"He's an insensitive dick with a drinking problem and unresolved Daddy issues." Bonnie states.

"How do you think Jenna is alive anyway?" I ask. Maybe there was magic involved.

"I've been mulling it over for the last few days and the only thing I can come up with, is the White Oak stake."

"What do you mean?" Elena questions. "The stake _kills_ vampires." Bonnie holds up her hand.

"Okay, so we've seen vampires when they die; they don't disintegrate, they decay and I imagine at a slower rate than the average human." So far she was making damn good sense. Caroline quickly interjects.

"I can buy that, but how does that explain why Jenna's alive and human?" If it weren't for her vampire hearing, she would've missed the faint sound of her heartbeat; nothing like compelling a groundskeeper for their shovels and digging six feet worth of dirt on a Thursday night.

"Maybe there's some rule in the clause that says a person changed in the last six months reverts back to their human state if their sire is staked with the White Oak." Bonnie replies.

"And Mikael missed that deadline decades ago." I voice.

"I wanna say it's a bit of a stretch, but I don't put anything past Mystic Falls anymore." Elena voices stunned.

"Of of you guys can explain that to Stefan and Damon." I didn't want to see Damon for a few days.

"I'm so glad I never went through sleeping with him the night I met him." Caroline adds.

"Yeah, that would be really awkward especially with how things are changing between him and Bonnie." Three sets of eyes snap up to look at me. Bonnie raises her eyebrow.

"Lexx, what are you talking about?" She asks.

"Oh, come on, Bonnie. You haven't noticed the way Damon's been acting around you?"

"He's still the same Damon." Him throwing Jenna up in Lexx's face proved that.

"Who gives you his jacket and watches over you like a hawk... actually a crow in his case." Caroline corrects.

"Have you guys lost it?" Damon didn't have any feelings for her, let alone romantic ones. "Elena, help me out here." Bonnie beckons for help.

"Bon, him giving you his jacket speaks volumes." She admits reluctantly.

"It's literally an article of clothing." Why was everyone making such a big deal out of it?

"Bonnie, our freshman year of high school, what did I wear practically every day?" Bonnie doesn't take long to answer.

"Matt's jacket." She answers quickly. Elena nods her head in satisfaction.

"Mhm." She takes a draw from her cup.

"Exactly. Boys do it has a way to show other guys that that girl is taken."

"Caroline, I was shaking like a leaf 'cause my life was in danger for the umpteenth time in the last two years," It meant nothing. "It was cold that night but none of that adds up to Damon...liking me." It sounded strange rolling off her tongue.

"Wasn't he keeping an eye on you after the whole blood bonding catastrophe?" I question. She turns her head to look at me.

"Because...you asked him too," Bonnie's sentence and confidence falters as I remain silent. "Right?"

"I didn't talk to him until he got to your house." I smirk. Bonnie face falls slightly. Lexx wasn't on to something...and neither were Elena and Caroline.

"And what about the ball?" Elena asks. "He didn't have to take you in, Bon. It was an excuse to touch you and you went along with it." She wags her eyebrows.

"That was Damon doing what he knows best; annoying me. I didn't want to cause a scene so I went along with it."

"Is that the same reason why you danced with him? He was spinning you across the dance floor while you threw your head back in laughter." Elena states dramatically as she tosses her head back.

"Matt was out there with Rebekah and I can enjoy myself from time to time." Bonnie counters. Even if it was with Damon.

"And earlier at the bridge," I add. "He twists Elena's arm but softly reassures you when he sees you're worried."

"He already knows I'm pissed about what he did with Stefan and didn't want another offense."

"But why would he care?" Caroline asks.

"He needs his local town witch and a Bennett witch is far and few in between." This girl had an answer for everything!

"Bon, Damon doesn't need you to be nice to him; he knows whether you're being polite or not, you wouldn't let one us get hurt to stick it to him."

"Lexx is right," Elena agrees. "He just doesn't want you mad at him because he enjoys bantering with you. It's his version of foreplay." Bonnie was always the smart one in the group so it came has no surprise that she had a well thought out response but Caroline was about to throw her off her game.

"Don't think I didn't see you two at the police station." Caroline chimes as she smirks. Bonnie's eyes widen, mimicking that of a deer in the headlights.

"See what" Elena and I ask

"You saw?" She thought she was in the clear. "Why didn't say anything?"

"Cause there must've been a reason why you didn't tell us." Caroline voices. She wasn't about to blow the whistle before Bonnie was ready.

"It wasn't a secret." She voices guilty. But it did feel private, like they were encased in a bubble.

"Bonnie, you can't tell us that you haven't notice the shift between you guys." Elena didn't believe it for a second.

"Stefan was with Klaus, so we compensated by picking up the slack together, but..." Hadn't she imagined him being too close when she was going through the spell books on the floor in his living room? Wasn't he only so close that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck when he was circling around her like prey in the parlor when she and Elena came over because he didn't know what personal space was? Didn't he only comfort her when it was unsure Elena would live or die if she couldn't stop the Witches from channeling her and her Mom because he was worried about Elena, not her? He only called her beautiful at the ball in hopes that she would tell Elena...right? He told her he was over Elena to... do what exactly? Ugh, she didn't know but all these unanswered questions were wreaking havoc on her brain.

"We should get going before it gets too late. It takes a few hours to get to Abby's house." Bonnie announces suddenly. Bon thought that she could find something in one of Abby's' books so they were going there. Abby had left before them and I guess she didn't want to keep her waiting. Bonnie and Caroline get up from their seats, push them in and leave out through the front door. _The matter doesn't get solved just because you leave Bonnie._ Elena grabs the mugs and places them in sink.

"You've noticed too right, Elle?"

"Have I? Damon being annoyed because Bon wouldn't pay him any attention and then reassuring her that Matt and Dana were okay is so unlike him," At least it was. Then a thought occurs to her suddenly. "Did Stefan going with Klaus give Damon an opportunity to act on his feelings for Bonnie?" She looks at me. I cock my head to the side.

"You think he wasn't because Stef would've been against it?" He wanted Pre-Katherine Damon back. Elena shrugs her shoulders.

"I think he would've wanted to make sure his friend wasn't phase one of a plan Damon cooked up. Maybe he was so set on trying to convince himself he was in love with me, he didn't know he was trying to distance himself from his feelings for Bonnie."

"You know he's never gonna admit to himself that he likes her."

"Those Salvatores are a stubborn bunch." Elena sighs as she rolls her eyes.

* * *

Damon walks down into the basement and sees Stefan leaning over the freezer drinking a blood bag.

"Oh, come on," He says once he sees multiple blood bags scattered on the floor."Slow down, brother," He walks over to Stefan and snatches the blood bag out of his hand. "Control, remember? Doesn't matter whether its blondes or blood bags, same principles apply."

"What did you tell Lexx about Wickery Bridge?" He didn't need Lexx telling Elena anything that was going on with him. This was his fight and if Elena thought there was a chance she could help, she would take it and Stefan didn't want that.

"Oh, you're stress eating; sublimating. You and Elena deserve each other with all your pining and moping." He barely stops himself from rolling his eyes.

Stefan moves toward Damon. "I asked you a question, Damon."

"I told her what she already knows; you're a vampire and you drink human blood and to get over it," He states, closing the freezer. "Which is the same thing I'm telling you. Own it, live it, love it. Stop being ashamed of who you are." Damon says it like it's his life's mantra and starts to leave, but Stefan grabs his arm and pulls him back around.

"Do me a favor, Damon. Next time you talk to Lexx or Elena, keep me out of it, okay?" His jaw tenses as his mind flashes back to the hospital and Stefan catches it before he fixes his face.

"Gladly. Now, unless you're interested in a Sage-Rebekah sex sandwich, I suggest you make yourself scarce." He walks back upstairs. Oh, Stefan knew exactly where he was going.

* * *

A man is playing the piano. Sage sits next to him, while Damon uncorks two bottles of wine.

"Remember this song?"

"Alright Miss Master Seductress, where's our victim?" Damon ignores her question and pours the wine into glasses.

"Patience. Between her craving for affection and her pathological fear of being left alone, our little get together is too tempting to resist." Sage says confidently before biting the wrist of the man playing the piano and feeding on him.

"Finn's gone, you know." Damon couldn't understand the draw of Finn; he looked about as much fun has watching paint dry.

Sage stops feeding. "I choose to believe otherwise."

"He strung you along for nine hundred years, didn't bother to call, he's gone. " And he'd know what that felt like since Katherine had done the exact same thing to him. He hands her a glass.

"You know, the Damon I knew was holding out for someone too." She's curious has to what happened to change that.

"Yes, he was. Hope's a bitch, Sage. Get out while you can." Damon pours wine into her glass just as the doorbell rings.

"The sweet chime of desperation." Sage whispers.

Rebekah enters the room with a bottle of wine and holds it up. "I stole it from Nik who stole it from a Queen. Not sure which one," She looks around the room. "Well this is depressing, what happened to the party?"

Sage gets up and walks over to Rebekah, taking the bottle from her. "It just arrived." She and Damon share knowing looks. She uncorks the bottle. Damon presses play on the speakers and grabs Sage's hand. They dance together as Rebekah watches them and sits down next to the man on the piano. She bites his neck and starts to feed. Sage gestures to Damon to go over to her. He does and Sage sits down on the couch.

"How 'bout a duet?" He feels a slight drop in his stomach, but ignores it. Rebekah stops feeding for a second and looks at him. She goes back to feeding. Damon grabs the man's wrist and begins to feed as well. They both stop after a while and wipe the blood from their lips. Damon pushes the man, who is now unconscious, off of the bench and moves toward Rebekah. He gently grabs her face in his hand and Rebekah stands up.

They're about to kiss when Rebekah looks over at Sage.

"What about her?"

"I don't want her. I want you." There's that drop again. Damon kisses Rebekah as Sage watches from the couch and smiles.

* * *

"Listen, I want you to have this," Alaric slides a notepad with writing on it towards me. "This is a list of my bank accounts, passwords, where to find my will, and how to contact my family, just in case this doesn't go my way." Elena pushes the pad back towards him before I can throw it at the wall. _Was he...giving up?_

"No, no. Don't even think like that." Elena is the first to speak. She didn't want lose anyone else, especially not when she had just got Jenna back.

"You called us over here to talk about you're funeral arrangements?" I ask in disbelief.

"Lexx, I need to know that you, Elena and Jeremy are gonna be okay."

"Why are you talking like you're already dead?" I hadn't known him to give up so easily. "Why are you just sitting down and taking this like it's the only option we have?" I whisper. _I didn't want be here for this_.

"Lexx-" He's cut off by the sound of me scraping my chair against the floor and jumping up from the table.

"Where are you going in such a rush?" I hear Meredith ask from the sofa as I rush past her.

"If he's gonna give up before we've had a chance find anything, then there's no need for me to be here. Have fun picking out a wreath." I reply, slamming the door and leaving Alaric with his pad full of passwords. Alaric turns back towards Elena.

"I just want make sure you're all taken care of."

"We're _all_ gonna be fine, but we can't do that if you're gonna give up before you've even tried," Elena's phone rings, giving her an excuse to change the conversation. "Caroline?"

"Abby thinks she and Bonnie can reverse the damage of the spell."

That had taken Elena by surprise; they'd only been gone a few hours, she hadn't expected them to find something so quick. "How did she find it?"

"It's the same thing that happens to witches who get obsessed with dark magic." Abby explains.

"Yeah. They lose control and start acting out their darkest impulses." Bonnie finishes.

"But if that's the case, wouldn't Ric have to be a warlock?" Alaric snaps his head up.

"I hope the other side of the conversation is better than the end I'm hearing."

"I'll need a personal effect of Alaric's, something he wore before he started wearing the ring." Abby instructs her.

"Okay, yeah, I- I'll get it. Thank you for doing this." Bonnie lightly laughs.

"Be ready to do the spell has soon as we get there. We have to work fast. I'll see you soon." Bonnie hangs up.

"Good news? Bad news?" Elena turns around and walks back over to the table.

"Abby thinks that she can help you with a spell." Alaric pauses before answering.

"I'll try for Lexx." Elena smiles.

"But she needs something that you wore before you put on the ring, something personal." Just then, Meredith walks into the kitchen and comes to the table.

"Well, there's uh, there's my wedding ring. It's at the loft." Elena was definitely feeling the awkwardness at the mention of his wedding ring and knowing Jenna was alive and hopefully getting better, back at the Salvatores' house.

"Okay, yeah, uh, that's a good idea." Alaric starts to get up, but Meredith pushes him back down.

"I think it's better if you stay here with me."

"Oh, you and your tranquilizers," He sighs. "It's in the dresser by the kitchen. It's in an aspirin bottle, probably covered in cobwebs." He jokes, trying to alleviate some of the tense atmosphere.

"Okay," Elena looks at Meredith. "I'll be back before you know it, so try not to use too many of those tranquilizers."Mm, .?

* * *

A bin of dishes is placed on my table while I'm waiting for Kai to bring my fries out.

"Are you okay? You had Kai put in another order." I hear Matt ask. I appreciated Matt asking, but I knew he had a lot on his plate; he missed Tyler more than he let on, he was failing History and a few of his bills were late. I didn't want him worrying about me.

"Just one of those days where it hits me that, this isn't the same town that packs the stadium for Friday night football; it's turned into Friday night bites with all the vamps." It's a half-truth, but one I find myself thinking about often. Matt laughs, leaning on the table.

"Tell me about it; one minute Ty and I are running drills and the next, he's a werewolf and this whole damn town is a hotspot for everything supernatural," He shakes his head. "It's wild."

"And tiresome," I slouch down in my chair. "Matty, do you ever regret giving up on your Mom?" I know it's an off topic question, but my mind can't help but to go to Uncle Ric.

"That was heavy." He says taken aback by the sudden change in conversation.

"I know. I'm sorry," I didn't mean to blurt it out at him. "It's just...I know it would be easier on you if Kelly was here helping you pay the bills and being a shoulder for you to lean on." Yes, I was using this as a way to get advice on Uncle Ric, but I also knew Matt would be ten times less stressed out if Kelly were still here. He shrugs his shoulders.

"She was never the Mom, Vicky and I needed her to be; flighty, late picking us up for school, always looking for a party to go to. Tyler convinced me to try out for the football team to deal with it and Vicky fell into drugs," He sighs. "I'd been steeling myself for years to wake up one morning and find a note saying she was never coming back, but once I realized I was old enough to get a job and make end's meat and since it wasn't like she was ever home, I told her she didn't have one to come back to." _Oh, Matty._

"So, no?" He shakes his head.

"No, and I've never looked back since."

"Matty, I know I've been a little consumed with everything that's been happening, but I want you to know if you need me, I'm here." I put my hand on top of his and squeeze it. I'd forgotten Matt was the kind of person to suffer in silence because he thought he was a burden to the people around him. He smiles softly before squeezing it back.

"I know that, but it's really nice to hear you say it aloud."

"Of course, Honeycutt." I give him a cheeky smile.

"Can we leave the childhood nicknames in the past?" He groans.

"Hey, Matt, we need you on tables eight and ten!" Sarah shouts.

"I gotta get back to work," He removes his hand from mine and lifts the bin off the table. "If there aren't any more fries when my shift is done, I will break down your door. You shouldn't be stuffing your face with fries anyways, cheerleader."

"I was getting full anyways!" I yell at his retreating figure. Matt had helped me out whether he realized it or not and now all I had to do was convince Uncle Ric not to give up just because it looked like there was no way out.

* * *

A/N: So how did the explanation as to why Jenna was alive go over? And Bonnie definitely got a Damon intervention from her girls, but did he do any good?


	23. Chapter 23

Break On Through or Fall In Part III

Damon and Rebekah are lying in Damon's bed together with the sheets draped over their bodies. Rebekah is asleep; Damon is awake trying to figure out why he feels so strange. He kept thinking to when Bonnie saw him in the alley, how put off she looked, how she wouldn't speak to him today or last two days. It was bothering him and he couldn't understand why.

He'd told Stefan it'd take time for Elena to move past seeing him feed on the girl last night and it would no doubt take just has much time for he and Bonnie to get back to the place they were before she saw him force Stefan's hand. Maybe Lexx had been on to something when she accused him of liking Bonnie and if that was the case, now he owned her two apologies. Not to mention once Bonnie found out how he tore into Lexx like she was someone's jugular, it was only gonna make it harder. Even more so if she decided to give him a brain aneurysm.

He almost misses Sage entering the room. He nods at her and she quietly walks over to the bed and sits next to Rebekah. She places her hand on Rebekah's head and gets inside her head. She smiles, nodding her head towards the bathroom and starts to walk over to it while taking her shirt off. Sage is in the shower and Damon goes in with her.

"I take it back, your plan is amazing." He'd say anything to ignore the ping in his stomach.

"I told you if you got her comfortable enough, she's an open book."

Damon moves closer to her. "Well, are you gonna torture me or are you gonna tell me what she's up to?"

"I'd rather show you." Sage kisses Damon, showing him the memories that she saw when she touched Rebekah. As much has he wants to enjoy the kiss, he can't help but let his mind wonder to a certain five foot, two inch witch.

"There's another tree."

* * *

Damon is in the library looking for the logging mill records in a bath towel, when Sage walks in.

"Milling records?" Sage was confused as to how old milling records was gonna help them.

"Our family made one of its many fortunes selling lumber. It's why Rebekah's been digging around about this stuff. That tree was on our land and milled by our yard. The ledgers will tell me where it was shipped. Business archives should be around here somewhere. Get upstairs; make sure you keep her distracted."

Sage goes back upstairs. Damon continues looking for the archives and pulls out the one from nineteen twelve. He flips through it and finds where the tree was shipped to. The old Wickery Bridge.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

* * *

Elena is walking up the stairs to Alaric's loft when she gets startled by Stefan.

"Missed you at the house," He leans against the door frame. "Alaric told me you'd be here." Now he was being nice.

"You made yourself perfectly clear this morning, Stefan," She walks over to Alaric's door and unlocks it. "You don't want to be around me."

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Elena," He calls out to her. She pauses in the doorway and turns around to look at him. "I just can't be who you want me to be right now," He didn't know when Good Stefan was gonna make an appearance. "I'm not in control." He finishes sadly. She stares at him before sighing and pushing the door open wider before walking in.

"So then, what are you doing here?"

"I, uh, I did a little more digging on Samantha Gilbert," He closes the door behind him and turns on the lights. "Founding families were always pretty good about destroying their records, but I found a couple of newspaper articles. It seemed she killed two people while she was in the institution. A nurse and a guard."

"So, she was a psychopath. I get it." Not exactly new or helpful information.

"She was under suicide watch," Elena frowns her face in confusion. "No personal effects, no jewelry."

"Wait, so, you're saying that the violent behavior can still happen even if the person isn't wearing the ring?" Stefan nods. Ric giving Lexx the ring hadn't solved anything then.

Back at the house, Alaric is just waking up from his nap.

Alaric is asleep on the couch when Meredith calling his name wakes him up.

"You still with me?" She asks from the kitchen.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still with you." He answers groggily.

"I'm half-dead too," She wasn't use to being dead on her feet on her days off. "Neither one of us has slept in two days, but don't worry, I've got coffee on." Alaric gets up and goes into the next room. He looks through Meredith's bag and grabs the tranquilizers in it. He takes off the cap and pours the liquid onto the floor. He does the same thing with the second tranquilizer.

* * *

Damon is burning the milling records from nineteen twelve when Sage comes back into the room.

"Rebekah just left." She updates.

"Happy, I hope." When you've been around as long has he had you learned a thing or two and didn't hear complaints.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" She takes a sip from her glass.

"Nineteen twelve, the Salvatore milling company chopped down a forest, its most valuable wood came from an old white oak tree that was used to make the Wickery Bridge. These aren't public records, so Rebekah's gonna chase her tail for a long time." He brags.

"So all the wood stripped from the underside of that bridge is basically a weapon that could kill an Original?"

"Yep."

"You see how this could be a problem for me, right?" Damon stops stroking the fire and places the fire-poker back in the stand and gets up and starts walking over to her.

"Why? Because of your true love Finn? Let me tell you something, I met the guy, you're not gonna miss him." Sage rushes over to him before the last word is out of his mouth.

"I will rip your head off in two seconds if you take one more step." Sage was much older than him, more than Katherine, and he could tell she was serious.

"Alright, let's make a deal; you help me kill Rebekah, I consider Finn untouchable, you guys walk into the sunset together." Damon thinks he's painted the picture well enough for her.

"Is that a promise?" She narrows her eyes.

"Yes. It's a promise."

* * *

Elena pulls out a draw, searching for Alaric's wedding ring.

"What if Bonnie's spell doesn't work? What are you gonna do with him?"

"I'm not gonna _do_ anything, Stefan," He wasn't a dog that needed to be put down. "I'm gonna keep looking until we find something that'll help him." She starts looking through a file cabinet.

"You don't know how long this has been going on." Months. Years. Decades before she was even born, he was spilling innocent blood, going on ripper binges and according to Damon, not even remembering them. She should just throw every memory she had of the two of them, the hope she was holding onto, in a chest and hurl it into the water.

"If you're not gonna help me look _and_ be Negative Nancy, then make your way back down the stairs Stefan."

"Might be too late." She watches him curiously before turning her attention back to the task at hand.

"It's my family's ring that's doing this to him. It's my responsibility to fix it." She moves from the cabinet and to another drawer. She tries pulling it out, but it won't budge. She keeps trying.

"You can't put that on yourself," He chastises. "Not everyone is your responsibility," Not Alaric, not Elijah, and not him. "As much has you like to think so, not everyone can be saved." Maybe they were only allowed a night together before he had to accept the reality of the situation. Elena abandons the drawer in favor of another 'lost cause'.

"Are we talking about Alaric here or are we talking about you?" Stefan eyes widen slightly at her questioning. He didn't realize he was projecting. He shifts his eyes to the floor before looking back at her.

"Maybe just me." He admits.

"If you came by just to give me a 'you can't be reached' speech, then I can let you know I wasn't planning on giving up on either of you. I'm tired of your pity party," He watches her defiance with barely concealed acknowledgement of her vow.

"I can't give you anything, Elena." Klaus took what was left of him. Elena laughs.

"I haven't given up, Stefan. I still have hope. That hasn't changed. I assumed you stopped by my house to tell me this and Meredith or Ric told you where I was and you just had to come all the way over and tell me this because?" She crosses her arms. "I told you I wouldn't love a ghost Stefan and you're no ghost." She whispers as she leans against the file cabinet. Stefan swifts his eyes to the wall before they fall back to her.

"So what am I then?"

"A shell of the Stefan that I know," She pauses as her eyes soften. "But I can do a hell of a lot more with it than a ghost." He nods his head as he applies light pressure to the drawer she was having trouble opening. Inside are photos of the dead bodies of Bill Forbes and Brian Walters, newspaper clippings, and other stuff about the murders. "What is that?" Elena whispers shocked.

Stefan picks up one of the pictures. It might not have been a wall filled with names of all the people he killed, but he knew memorabilia when he saw it.

"Pictures of his victims."

* * *

Damon enters the library of the Salvatore house in search of Sage.

"Sage, let's go, we have Originals to kill," He looks around for her but she isn't in the library anymore. He knows where she went. "Sage," He voices grimly. He quickly calls Bonnie. "Sage is gone and she knows about the other White Oak tree." He updates her swiftly. Bonnie doesn't have time be shocked.

"Uh," The news is unexpected and doesn't allow her mind to wonder back to the conversation she had with Caroline, Elena, and Lexx. "I'm on way back now, Rebekah told Elena she and Klaus burned the tree to the ground and Klaus took the dagger you gave to Alaric to use on Kol." There was no tree.

"Except my family uprooted a certain Original killing tree and built Wickery Bridge with it." He replies as he closes the door behind him and heads to his car. She can feel the vein I neck throbbing.

"Everything always comes back to you Salvatores." He chuckles.

"We're in popular demand." Bonnie hears the sound of a car door closing.

"Damon," She asks cautiously. "Where are you going?" Being reckless coursed through his veins like whiskey bourbon.

"Can't exactly sit on the bench when we're down by ten points now can I?" He turns over the engine.

"Just wait until everyone can get together and come up with a plan that doesn't end with you dead!"

"I didn't call for you to talk me down, Bonnie." She lets out a quick huff of aggravation.

" _Damon_ , she's nine hundred years old; what are you gonna do besides get yourself killed?" He always had to get in a few solid punches even if he was fighting a losing battle. Was it just him or did she sound worried about his safety?

"Careful, Bonnie, I might start to think you actually care." He smirks lightly. Bonnie laughs shortly.

"Haven't you learned to stop acting so impulsively yet?" She questions quietly.

"It's one of my favorite qualities," He responds softly. "Why change?" They're silent with the only noise being heard is their light breathing.

"Maybe I'll save you a dance." She references the night of the Decade dance where he helped fake her death. Only this time, there was no plan and no spell.

"That would be worth coming back to." He replies quickly.

"Damon..." She's doesn't know what else to say to make him back up from the ledge and closer to her.

"Bye, witch." He hangs up the phone. Bye? Bye until later or bye...forever? It had to be the first one because why would she be the person Damon would say his final goodbye to?

"Damon? Damon! That stupid, homicidal vampire." She groans.

"You okay, Bon?" Jamie asks coming up the porch.

"No," She was shaken. She didn't know how to label her and Damon's interactions anymore. What would you even call whatever that was on the phone just now? It was intimate...like a couple? "Damon is going on a suicide mission instead of waiting for backup. Would it kill him to wait four hours? No, 'cause he's been alive a hundred sixty-four years, what's three and a half hours?" She unloads on Jamie. He looks at her bemusedly.

"This Damon guy really gets under your skin, huh?" He crosses his arms.

"You haven't had to deal with him the last two years," He was rash, prideful, and had a tendency to go in half-cocked. "He doesn't listen; it's like dealing with a child."

"Does he 'act out' a lot then?" He puts quotation marks around act out.

"He did until I learned how to pop his brain vessels." She smirks.

"So...you keep him in line then?" Jamie reasons.

"Yeah, but there are still times where he won't listen." She shakes her head as a humorless laugh leaves her mouth. Why was she so worried about him? He willingly walked into the fire –it's not like she hadn't tried killing him with said fire anyways- so if he went out in a blaze of glory, so be it. He would be dead like she wanted and then whatever weird energy that was forming between them would be put to a permanent stop.

"Like now you mean?" She rolls her eyes. "So why didn't he listen?"

"This vampire, Sage, she suggested that she could help us with another vampire, Rebekah." So that was why Damon was gunning for this Sage person; she got Bonnie's hopes and now they were crashing and burning and Damon felt like he had to make up for it. Jamie lets out a hearty laugh.

"Why are you laughing? Wha-?" When did she do something worth laughing at?

"Things are coming into perspective," He shakes his head. "Come on, you should go get Caroline."

Stefan and Elena are looking through the stuff in the drawer. Elena sees an envelope with Jeremy's name on it. She opens it and takes out the papers inside. She reads the note attached to all the other papers.

"'Jeremy, if anything happens to me, carry on my work. You have the other ring; let the ring make you strong. The council must be cleansed before the work can begin.'" Stefan takes the papers from Elena.

"It's the Founder's Council roster. Looks like some sort of hit list."

"No, Alaric didn't write this." Cleansed of what? Alaric didn't talk like this and he damn sure didn't write like it either.

"Who else would have written it, Elena?" He knew Alaric's handwriting and she did too. She didn't have an answer but Jeremy was never getting this note. She tears it up and continues to search for the wedding ring in the drawer. She finds the aspirin bottle, opens it, and pours the ring into her hand.

"I have to get back." She voices a bit frantically.

* * *

Meredith is in the kitchen, she grabs two cups out of a cupboard when Lexx comes through the back door.

"Looking for something?" I ask.

"I don't know where anything is in this house," She pours the coffee into the mugs. "You want a cup?"

"Yes, please," I beg. "And with lots of sugar." I instruct leaning against the island.

"How you holding up?"

"To be frank; a little pissed. He's taught me to never give up and if I lose, then go down swinging and when it's time for him to do the same, he forfeits." Such a damn hypocrite.

"Lexx, he's just being reasonable; on the off chance he doesn't make it, he wants to make sure the appropriate arrangements are made so it's one less thing any of you have to worry about and he can at least leave you taken care of." Meredith reasons.

"I get that; it was hectic as hell trying to get things together after Miranda and Grayson died," Poor Jenna had to pick out caskets and grave plots while Elena put together the service. Bonnie was there to offer moral support, Caroline was at cheer camp and I was in the hospital healing from the accident, leaving Jeremy to find distractions in the form of Vicki Donovan and drugs. "But does he have to be so grave about it?" She grabs my hand.

"He's trying to compartmentalize, but I'm sure it's hard for him to even think about not being here with you guys." She could've been so good for him if Jenna wasn't alive through some supernatural miracle.

"Thank you," I squeeze her hand back. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom, can you not tell him I'm here yet?" I ask sheepishly. She laughs.

"Sure and if that doesn't work out, I can always use one of my tranquilizers." She offers." I leave her to her coffee making and round the kitchen corner and cut through the living room to avoid seeing Uncle Ric before heading up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asks Meredith's turned back as he comes into the kitchen.

"Making coffee," She answers. "I'm sorry, I can't remember, do you take cream?"

"No cream."

"I was gonna make sandwiches. I'm starving." She wondered if she should wait 'til Lexx got back to ask her if she wanted one.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"No mustard," She offers up before he can ask why there isn't a bottle of it sitting on the island. "I hate mustard." She smiles at him.

"Do you ever feel remorse?" Meredith looks up from making the coffee and turns to face Alaric with her cup in her hand.

"I'm sorry?" It wasn't the average question you asked when getting to know someone. He was putting her a bit on edge.

"Well," He picks up a knife lying on the island. Meredith watches frozen to her spot as he starts walking around the counter, coming closer towards her. "You are a council member. And the council was formed to protect the people of this town from vampires and yet, here you all are, just looking the other way, ignoring your responsibilities," The back door a few feet away from the sink would be the quickest escape route, but it was also predictable.

Her best bet was throwing the freshly made coffee in his face and making a dash for the tranquilizers in her purse on the table in the living room and get Lexx. All she had to do was wait for him to get closer so she could cause maximum damage.

"Like you and your vampire blood. So I'm asking you, do you ever feel remorse? Because you should."

Alaric rushes towards her with the knife and goes to cut her on her side, but she darts to the left. She spills the coffee on him and breaks the mugs. She rushes into the front room and sees the tranquilizers are empty. She quickly goes towards the stairs just as Lexx is coming down.

"What's wrong?" I have my hand inside my jacket to pull a stake out in case a vampire has gotten in. She looked frantic.

"RUN!" Alaric comes running around the corner and grabs her by the leg as she tries to rush up the stairs. I grab her by her hands to stop him from dragging her down. She kicks the knife out of his hand and covers the rest of the stairs. I allow her to run past me past me as I go back down the stairs to send a kick to his stomach that has him flying into the front door before I pick up the knife and stab him in the leg and quickly retract it.

"AAH!"

"Lexx, come on!" Meredith screams. If she thought I was leaving when I had the upper hand, she didn't know me.

"You really wanna hurt your Uncle?" Ric asks or more specifically, Samantha.

"Spoiler alert, he's about has much my Uncle as Elena and Jeremy are brother and sister, but I'll try not to cause his body too much harm but that's up to you, isn't it?" I smirk.

"Ah," Samantha laughs. "That's why you were so willing to stab me." She grunts as the movement shifts her leg.

"What should we do?" Meredith asks from beside me.

"I take you up on you offer to tranq him." Meredith grimaces.

"He emptied them out." She updates me.

"Call Elena, tell her to bring Stefan." If my plan was going how I thought it was, Damon would be too busy chasing a semi-false lead. Klaus wouldn't have a full hand if I could help it. I can hear her footsteps walk over the table to get her phone.

"Gives us a chance to send quality uncle/ niece time together." Samantha voices as Meredith steps into the kitchen.

"Is this the part where you tell me your grand plan?" I ask as I toy with the knife in my hands.

"Kill them before the hunger takes their family out in the night like the monsters they truly are." She shakes her head.

"And what about the ones who drink animal blood to sustain themselves instead of murdering innocent people? The ones who learn how to control it?" I tilt my head.

"Lexx..." Meredith calls out to me stopping her from replying.

"If you need me to see something, I'd rather you come over here." She walks the short distance from the table to the front door to standing by me.

"You keep calling Alaric Samantha, why?"

"I suggest you turn your attention to yourself." Samantha chimes in. I ignore her.

"This isn't my Uncle," I shake my in disbelief at seeing the man who used to cut the crust of my sandwiches try to cut someone with the same knife. "It's Samantha Gilbert." I let out an uneven breathe.

"I'm staring right at him; he doesn't have his ring on." Maybe it was payback for setting him.

"This is magic," I huff out a breath. "Same rules don't apply. Taking it off doesn't mean he still can't be possessed." Meredith laughs bitterly.

"How many times can you die before it changes you?" She asks out loud. I throw her a cautious look. "It was something I asked Ric the other night. I wish the Council had mentioned magic." An intense pain radiates from her right side. "OW!" She looks down to find her shirt sliced open and soaked in blood at the hem line. She thought she dodged the knife. I look from my peripheral to see the left side of her lavender shirt, stained in blood.

"It's deep," I breathe out. With the adrenaline pumping through her she probably didn't register the pain and the cut was bleeding profusely. Meredith could use one of the dishtowels from the kitchen to catch the blood, but if she didn't get to a hospital soon, she'd bleed out. Elena had better get here soon and hopefully with Stefan in tow.

"Like you said," She smirks. "Spoiler alert."


	24. Chapter 24

Break On Through or Fall In Part IV

Damon is speeding down the road towards the bridge and sees Rebekah standing in front of a bonfire of the wood from the white oak tree. Damon skids the car to a stop and gets out, slamming the door in frustration.

"Your grand plans always seem to get ruined, don't they? Sorry to disappoint you," She pauses. "Again." She smiles, walking off, the flames of the white oak tree burning, lighting her way. Damon turns around and sees Sage by his car.

"You set Bonnie and me up," He accuses. "You used getting inside her head as bait." She eyes him with slight interest. The Damon she met in nineteen twelve was waiting on a girl, but it looked like he had one this time around.

"No," She clarifies. "I'm just looking out for myself." Damon walks over to her.

"I told you I'd save your creepy boyfriend!" Who by the way, he still couldn't see the appeal of.

"AND YOU LIED TO ME, DAMON!" If Rebekah was a state of the art security system, then Damon was a bike lock.

"He's Klaus' least favorite, he wouldn't miss him."

"But I would! The Originals are linked; if one dies they all die. If I can get inside her head, don't you think I'd be able to get inside yours?"

"He's coming after my family and you just burned the one thing that can stop him," Damon rushes toward Sage and grabs her by the throat, pushing her against his car. "I should end you." She could get what Meredith couldn't. And he didn't appreciate her giving Bonnie false hope and ripping it out from under her.

"I'm nine hundred years old, Damon," She replies back coolly. "You're not capable of ending me," She was letting him keep her pinned against the car. Sage pushes Damon off of her and throws him down onto the trunk of his car. "Do you really think that I would risk Finn's life for one of your petty revenge fantasies?" Damon gets up and moves closer to Sage.

"Let me tell you something; your long lost love has a suicide wish," Sage laughs in disbelief at his obvious lie. "'When Mama Witch linked them together in a spell, he's the one that volunteered to die."

"He wouldn't do that." She voices weakly.

"He didn't want to live. Not for you, not for anyone. He doesn't love you, Sage," Her face takes on a hurt expression as Damon hits her with verbal blow after blow. "Now, when I do find another way to kill those Originals, I'll start with Finn." He promises as he bumps into her shoulder as he passes her.

* * *

"MEREDITH!" I yell, jolting her awake.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." The dishtowel she grabbed from the kitchen was soaked in her blood. I didn't know how much longer she could last.

"The dishtowel isn't thick enough; one of the towels from the closet should work," I gesture upstairs. "You think you can make it?" It wasn't really a question; she was losing conscious and wouldn't make the best guard for Ric... or Samantha.

"Yeah," She nods weakly. "I can do it." She scoots to the edge before using the armchair to support her weight. I leave my spot on the wall to help her up while keeping a watchful eye on Ric.

"If you can't make it back down, call me." I say once we reach the staircase.

"I'll be fine." She was really selling me with her pale skin and shirt halfway soaked in blood. She grips the rail as she takes the steps slowly.

"They wear the faces of people you've known your entire life but inside they hunger for blood and wouldn't think twice about who it is they are killing." Samantha voices, picking the conversation up where it left off.

"They are not all bad. They are people who didn't choose this life," Caroline didn't wanna be a vampire and Damon sure as didn't; he missed being human and the life he planned for himself. "Who decide to protect people from the very thing they are; what do you do with them Samantha?" She glares at me.

"The ones who tried killing me were, the vampires who killed all those innocent people were too! Some of them were my friends and those vampires didn't care that they had a family, they needed their hunger fed, so please refrain from telling me that they are good." I glare back at her _. If that was how we were gonna play this..._

"If that's the mindset were gonna use, then I'm a member of the club since I've lost family to vampires and you don't see me carrying a picket sign." I stab the knife into a step on the stairs. A hear a thud from upstairs but figure it's the doorknob on the closet in the hallway hitting the wall.

"Well maybe you should, Alexandra. The plan is simple; killing all the vampires keeps the residents of Mystic Falls safe and ends their suffering."

"So the rapists and the abusers just fade to black once you bring down the stake?" Knocking one monster off still left plenty.

"No, but it leaves a _human_ problem." But it presented another.

"And what about the _humans_ that do what you did, huh?" I throw my hands up. "Go around hollering about vampires and fangs? You're from a founding family and a small town where they're privy to that information; the same can't be said about everyone else. Psych wards still exist, _Sammie,_ " She glares at me. "And there's plenty of electroshock therapy to go around until Elena gets home."

"I pray it's soon." She replies coyly.

"You trying to get out of spending quality time with your niece, Sammie?" I pout. "I thought we were bonding."

"How kind of you to be concerned about me, but I suggest you turn your attention to your doctor friend." She tilts her head to the side.

"So when I turn around and back, you lunge for the knife and I stab you or you stab me and then you're bleeding out so the only option we have is to call for help and you conjure up some story about how we're trying to kill you to the police?" I've been watching horror movies too long and living in a real life one for the last two years to fall for that. "Why don't you do me a favor and _knit_ something." I suggest smugly as her upper lip twitches before she lunges at me. Maybe sitting on the second to last step on the stairs wasn't a good idea.

"I think I would rather take you out before you start bringing people to the vampires to slaughter." She grunts out as I try to break free from her hands around on my neck. Samantha might be the one talking but she had Uncle Ric's strength. I bring my knee up to hit the wound that's still open on his left leg. "AH!" His hands slip away long enough for me to push him into the wall and climb backwards on the stairs to get leverage before I grab him from behind and put him in a sleeper hold.

"Thank Caroline," I wheeze out as he flails around. "She has us do three sets of ten of pushups and pullups four days a week," He tries scratching at my arms. "The point of a sleeper hold," I grunt as he keeps moving. "Is to go to _sleep_." He slowly stops moving as the front door opens to reveal Elena and Stefan.

"Oh my God!" Elena screams out as she quickly closes the door. "Did Samantha take over?"

"Did you get the ring?" I ask while keeping my arms around him.

"Yeah," She pauses. "Lexx that's a lot of blood from one stab wound." She jokes. The thud from earlier.

"Oh shit." I realize as Ric's head lolls to the side. Stefan comes to stand beside Elena and looks up the stairs.

"Elena, I need you to come upstairs with me." Stefan moves towards the stairs.

"Why?" Because he wouldn't be able to control himself without her help.

"It's not Ric's blood, Elena." Elena shoots towards the stairs with Stefan in tow. Stefan breaks the bathroom door open. Meredith is sitting on the floor with blood all over her. Elena flips on the light and rushes over to Meredith.

"Meredith, you're gonna be okay." Elena bends down to down to help sit her upright. Stefan's can feel the veins etch across his face as the aroma of blood wavers through his nostrils. Elena grows tense as she sees his eyes turn pitch black. She smiles slightly to reassure he can control his urges. Stefan breathes out a breath before his face becomes normal. He holds his breathe as he bites his wrist and crouches down next to Meredith to feed her his blood. He gets up speedily and stumbles out of the bathroom to check on Lexx.

"Nice sleeper hold." He compliments as takes the last step down.

"If Caroline ever decides she doesn't want to take over the world, she has a promising career as a drill sergeant." How any times could she say 'one more push-up' before she meant it? I laugh dryly as I keep a watchful eye on Uncle Ric.

"Bonnie called while we were leaving Ric's apartment, she's on her way back with Care and Damon has a 'brain aneurysm the size of Virginia waiting for if he comes back alive'," I raise my eyebrows, lost. "He went after Sage by himself." Who the hell is Sage? Aunt Carol hadn't mentioned anyone by that name.

"Catch me up later, can you take Ric upstairs or do you wanna wait?" Stefan responds by bending down to put Ric's unconscious body over his shoulder. He takes the stairs two at time until he reaches the top.

"Where do you want me to put him?" I don't take long to answer.

"Jenna's room." I voice softly as I quickly go in front of him and open the door.

"You guys still haven't told him?" He asks as he puts Alaric down. I shake my head no as I take his shoes off.

"This one is all on me. I didn't know it was gonna be this hard. It's not like I have to get in front of a class and-and give a speech," The words tumble out franticly as I distract myself by fluffing a pillow before I put it behind his head. "It's-it's two people and I can sum it up in a sentence and say 'Hey, Jenna's alive' and call it a day," I place him underneath the covers and turn towards Stefan. "Why is so hard, Stef?"

"Because this is intricate. When Ric got to Mystic Falls, he already knew about vampires, but everything else, werewolves, magical rings, doppelgängers, we all found that out together as things progressed," He places his hands on my arms. "No one expects you to take unraveling a world he's had to readjust to time and time again apart by just blurting the words out carelessly," I don't say anything. "Okay?" I sigh.

"I was just pissed at you guys and now I'm in the same boat with Uncle Ric and Jeremy," The irony of it all. "You know I still haven't talked to him?" I lean against the wall.

"Lexx, why not," This was unlike her. "You're talking to everyone else."

"It's different with Jeremy you know?" I ask, toying with my fingers. It always had been.

"Are you mad because he told you about Jenna?" He asks unsurely.

"No." And I was telling the truth.

When Elena had first introduced him to her friends, he noticed that Lexx could play aloof when things were happening. He found himself second guessing if she were really that uninterested in what was going on or if she was just a convincing actress. As time went on he learned that Lexx could turn off her emotions, almost like a vampire, and stay that way until she was satisfied with the outcome. It was hard to get a read after her being away for a year.

"Then what is it Lexx?" He crosses his arms.

"I'm mad because he _had_ to keep it from me." I explain.

"That wasn't his fault. He wanted to tell you and so did Ric, but we took a vote and decided it would be better until you at least started the trial and we saw a significant change in your health."

"I guess...I just-" Words escape me has I try to mold my feelings into a sentence. "I wanted so bad to tell you guys that you were wrong that night; I've killed vampires, I was in the car with Elena when Miranda and Grayson went off the bridge, we lost Grams and I was strong enough to handle that so why would Jenna be any different?" I clear throat and shake off the familiar sensation of tears trying to come.

"I just hate he had to deal with having that on his shoulders. That he probably played out a dozen different scenarios in his head that ended with me telling him I hated him. That he was so stressed out over not being able to tell me when the truth is, I know it I would've wrecked me. He did all of that for nothing. It was wasted on me." Looked like Stefan had picked something up on the metal detector.

"Alexandra," He calls softly. "He is not gonna hate you. We had to fight Jeremy tooth and nail to not tell you everything while you were gone," He assures me firmly. "After the Other Side came down and Anna and everyone went back, he sent everyone on a wild goose chase." No one had told me this.

"Weren't you still sired to Klaus' minion when that happened?"

"Damon told me."

"Why the need for the goose chase?"

"You," I raise my eyebrows in shock. "He went to school like any other day, but Elena couldn't find him at lunch. At first, she was convinced Klaus had gotten him but she knew he would've made a bigger deal out of it. She didn't want ask Bonnie to do a tracking spell after she had to deal with seeing Grams again and her magic still being weak after bringing Jeremy back, so she skipped school and went looking through his computer. He erased his search history, but Elena found an email confirming his ticket for Georgia was reserved at the airport so imagine her surprise when she and Ric got there and didn't find him," Stefan laughs. "Damon found him at the bus station with a bag at the counter about to buy a ticket to New Orleans," Jeremy proved he was willing to defy everyone if it meant getting to Lexx. " If you call, he won't hang up. He'll talk to you till the sun comes up if you let him." I laugh. I missed having these kinds of talks with Stefan.

"That boy," I laugh ruefully. How much time had he spent planning that? "I'll tell you what, Salvatore," I start playfully. "I'll call when you give Stelena another chance, a real chance," His mouth is already forming a no doubt long winded explanation has to why that can't happen.

"Lexx –" If he knew the conversation was gonna turn to talks of Elena and him, he would've healed Meredith and sped out the door.

"He already has Caroline and Tyler; he can't have you two." I state fiercely. Tyler, who was breaking his sire bond with the help of Bill Forbes, was willing to risk his life to have a relationship with Caroline and all he had to do was forgive himself; Elena had already guaranteed him she wasn't giving up on him, on them. Klaus had looked so smug when he explained to Elijah that he and Elena were having trouble in paradise; he wanted so badly to speed across the table and slam his head into the fireplace, but Lexx had beaten him to it by dishing out a verbal blow. He missed her and no amount of staying away or trying to convince her to give up on him, was changing that.

"I'll talk to her." He bargains, surprising Lexx. _That was easy._

"Talk," I repeat. "Not dissuade or using your bloodlust as a crutch 'cause you think it means you're not good enough for her." He and Lexx were always good at reading people and keeping a situation from unraveling but he hated when it was used on him.

"Deal."

* * *

In the kitchen, Elena is doing dishes when Bonnie comes through the side door the next morning.

"Hey." Elena greets Bonnie.

"You okay?" She knew Elena was trying to distract herself by doing chores.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She nods meekly.

"Abby says that all the dying and coming back to life might have chipped away at Alaric's psyche, making it easier for the darkness to take hold," Like Grams said, magic comes at a price. She holds up a container.

"These herbs are the binding element of the spell. He needs to take them twice a day." Elena takes the container from her.

"Tell her 'thank you' for me. Did she say if they needed to be tablespoons, teaspoons?" Bonnie laughs at Elena's inquiry.

"A tablespoon will be just fine, Lena. I'll get you more. Abby and I are gonna work on the garden." Elena perks up.

"Gardening? Why aren't you a jack of all trades, Bon?" She smiles. It was nice that she had some kind of normalcy in her life. "How's it been getting used to having a Mom and a brother around?"

"The transition's been hard, but I think we'll be okay," Mother's Day was gonna be strange next year. "Eventually I'll adjust and then we can start being your everyday family of witches," They laugh. "I'm gonna go back and stay with her for a while, it'll give us a chance to work things through without anything supernatural hanging over our heads."

"Good thing Lexx is staying with you, she can house sit." Speaking of Lexx.

"Is she holding up alright?" Elena folds the dishtowel before placing it over the oven handle.

"I think it's hard for her to find her footing; she was so mad at us when she found out about Jenna and knows she's in the same place," She runs her fingers through her hair. "I should call; update her on what's going on."

"I'll go check on Alaric and do the spell." Elena quickly pulls Bonnie into an embrace.

"Thank you, Bonnie." She barely holds back tears.

"We already did this," She laughs lightly as she holds her back. "Go, call Lexx." She tells her as she pulls away. Elena takes her phone out of her pocket while she heads towards the side door to make the call. Bonnie leaves the kitchen and starts the trek up the stairs and turns left to enter Jenna's room. She stops short when she takes notice of Damon sitting in a chair with his hands clasped in front of him and his elbows resting on his thighs.

"He hasn't woken up yet if that's what you're about to ask." His fingers are interlocked as he watches over Ric dutifully. She hadn't seen him since they had that conversation last night and seeing him before she was ready was wreaking havoc on her nerves.

"I came to do a spell," She quietly speaks in Latin at a steady pace. She opens her eyes, to see Damon watching her. "I'll let you get back to it then; I'm sure you had a late night of sex and near death experiences." She swiftly closes the door before turning around. Elena had failed to mention Damon being here. She hears the door open behind her.

"Bonnie!" Damon yells after her. The fire that consumed the White Oak tree had nothing on the fire raging within Bonnie.

After Damon had left a defeated Sage in his wake, he'd gotten a call from Stefan; Samantha had possessed Ric and attacked Meredith and Lexx. The last thing Stefan heard were tires screeching against the asphalt before he hung up. Caroline had dropped Bonnie at home since it was late when they back so Damon hadn't had a chance to talk to her.

"Dammit, Shelia, slow down!" He speeds in front of her before she can place her foot on the first step of the staircase.

"So Stefan has his switch on, so what," She shrugs her shoulders at a lost. "You can be reckless Damon again?" Is that all this was about?

"I do stupid things, Bonnie." She knew that by now so why was she so worked up?

"We've got five Originals running around, two of which are unaccounted for, and you think going after a vamp that's practically one herself is doing us any favors?" They needed all the help they could get! So she was concerned about not having backup, not him.

"She doesn't get to throw me under the bus and think she's gotten away clean; If I'm coming after you, I'm gonna tell you in person," He widens his eyes to convey the threat. "Besides, if she had killed me, you would've known where I was; she probably would've thrown me in the fire and made a Damon shish kabob out of me." He shrugs easily. He thought this was funny? Why was she surprised? She clenches her jaw.

"If you can joke about how little your life means, then don't call me when you put it in danger!" She didn't need whatever it was that he made her feel gnawing at her from North Caroline to Virginia, for three and a half hours.

"I texted you when I was through and left a voicemail," She glares at him. "Not the point." And he wasn't winning any.

"Be reckless, feed on unsuspecting girls in alleyways, piss off Originals," She gives permission. "But do _not_ call me," She laughs lowly. "I can't believe you were even able to talk to me after you threw Jenna in Lexx's face." A crestfallen look covers Damon's face.

"I'm gonna apologize to Lexx. I know I shouldn't have used Jenna as crutch because I was pissed about her bringing you-" He hears Bonnie's breathe hitch slightly. What was that about? "And Elena seeing me push Stefan." He catches himself. Bonnie looks over Damon's head before sighing.

"I don't claim to know everything about vampires and bloodlust." She believed him when he said he was over Elena but she just didn't know what he was trying to do by making Stefan snap.

"You giving me the benefit of the doubt?" He smiles ruefully.

"Matt said it best; you've dealt with him as a Ripper. We haven't." Damon liked when Bonnie was on his side.

"So," He takes a step closer, peering up at her. "You're not mad?" She looks down to smile at him, causing Damon's chest to stir. And then his head is encased in explosions that threaten to pull him under. She slows the bursts down to an agitating pace so it's drawn out. "I thought you weren't mad!" He grunts out as he collapses on the steps.

"Never said that now did I?" She points out as she descends the stairs.

"Ow," Damon groans as he sits up. "Love a girl that can kick my ass."

* * *

"Little early in the day, don't you think?" Damon asks Stefan as he enters the den.

"Just having a little toast."

"Lexx doesn't need to see you plastered to make up for not seeing Ripper Stefan," he smirks. "I only share the alcoholism with Ric." Stefan sighs.

"Lexx would approve of the liquid courage." He was gonna talk to Elena about giving a second chance. Damon wasn't reeling that catch in.

"A toast to what exactly?"

"Control." He was proud of himself.

"Ah. Elena did mention you not turning into the bathroom into more a murder scene more than it already was when you got there." If it weren't for Elena, he might've ran out of there to keep from hurting Meredith.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Bonnie had told Stefan that Damon was driving to Wickery Bridge to get Sage after she sold him out to Rebekah. "Sage double-crossed you, tree's a pile of ash, and Alaric's got a psychotic alter ego." Had Bonnie given him an aneurysm? He knew he considered it their weird version of fourplay.

"You know, Stefan, I'm a philanthropist, I make the world a better place; restoring bridges, landmarks,and," He rips the paper off to reveal the sign. "Historical signs made of the same white oak as the Wickery Bridge." Stefan gets up to get a closer look.

"They think all the wood is burned." they had another chance.

"I sold my rage," Damon brags. "You should have seen me. Leonardo DiCaprio who?"

"We have a weapon." His eyes glint with mischief.

"Game's back on, brother," He smirks at Stefan. "Let's go kill some Originals." Damon finishes as he hears Lexx's thundering footsteps descending down the stairs. He quickly places the sign behind the couch.

"Jenna's awake!" The sound is rougher than usual and croaky, a result of her fight with Ric's other half, but the smile reaches from ear to ear.

"Maybe it won't be as hard to talk to Jeremy now," Stefan smiles, keeping his eyes off of the dark purple bruises already forming on her neck. "Come on, I'll go see how she's doing." Stefan wraps his arm around Lexx's shoulders as they head up stairs.

"Would you look at that, more good news." Damon states he fixes himself a dark.

* * *

As happy has I was about Jenna being up, I still had to handle business.

 _You still have the ashes?_

I could hear her roll her eyes before she replied.

 _Yea. Not sure what's so special about them, but they're sitting in a shoebox in my closet._

 _I need you to send them to 0603 Paradise Ave._

 _But that's..._

 _I know._

 _You pulling some elaborate prank?_

 _Well, you know me._

 _I'll send them tomorrow._

 _Be sure to delete these when you're done, I don't wanna take any chances._

 _You are really serious about this._

 _I have to play this like a game of chess._

"Lexx!" Jenna yells. "I come back from the dead and that's still not enough for you to put your phone down?" I look at her with watery eyes.

"Never thought I'd miss hearing you telling me to put my phone down."

"Tell me about it," Elena voices from the doorway. "Jenna?"

"Almost didn't recognize you without a cup of coffee in your hand," She jokes lightly before Elena covers few feet in front of her and launches herself on Jenna. "Oh, I missed you!"

"You're really here, you're awake!" She clings to her as she cries. "You're alive!"

"Guess it was time we won a round." Caroline adds in as she looks on in slight awe. Bonnie gives a watery laugh.

"Are you gonna join the hugfest?" Jenna asks them. They quickly follow in Elena's footsteps and jump onto the bed.

"This is surreal," Caroline voices as she takes in the ray of sunlight streaming into the room on Jenna's arm. "You were a vampire... and now you're human and smell like lavender again." We laugh at Caroline being the unintentional comedic relief.

"Why were you sniffing Jenna, Caroline?" I ask, eyebrow raised.

"I wasn't doing it randomly, it was something I noticed over time." She shrugs as peer back down at my phone and delete the messages.

"Why are you so far away?" Jenna questions.

"Can't exactly tell Jeremy you're alive through a text message and smiling face emoji." I cover.

"Send the one blowing a kiss." She winks. _I see a dirt nap for the last three months didn't deter her._

"I'm sure Anna would've _loved_ hearing your jokes about Jeremy and I getting together."

"I stopped once they became a item and now that they're not..." She trails off.

"I hear a girl Liv keeps him busy between baseball practices." I reply back snarkily.

"Jeremy is touchy subject." Bonnie updates her.

"Noted." Jenna nods.

"I'm sorry, Jenna," I sigh as I plop down next to Caroline on the bed. "We're in a weird place right now."

"That's because of you, Lexx." Elena points out.

"I know, but the good news is I talked to Stefan and I figured out why I haven't called him back yet," I quickly move on to the next sentence before they question why. "Bad news, I still haven't told Uncle Ric about..." i gesture to Jenna.

"At least you can tell him I'm alive instead of in a state of comatose." She tries to lighten the mood.

"He could use the good news." Caroline chimes in. Bonnie hits her shoulder.

"You up for a game of catch up?" Elena asks quickly.

"Yeah," Jenna scoots up in the bed. "What have I missed in the last three months?" No sense in bushing around the bush.

"Elena and Jeremy told everyone you ran 'cause you couldn't handle being their guardian," i take a quick breath. "I didn't find out you were dead until like last week and I was in New Orleans, so I didn't have a vote on what excuse to tell everyone."

"LEXX!" All three girls call out sharply.

"This is light compared to all the Klaus and Ric stuff we still have to tell her." I exhale a tired sigh.

"When are you going back NOLA, I'm tired of you being right." Caroline inquires defensively.

"Wait, what's going on with Alaric? What else could Klaus have possibly done?" Jenna asks frantically.

"You want us to go chronologically or alphabetically?" Bonnie questions.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Did you guys think I would abandon this story? I would've uploaded a chapter last week, but I was so wrecked fro the Las Vegas shooting last Monday that I couldn't find any enthusiasm when something that tragic was going and people are still reeling from it. Stay vigilant and aware and if you guys see or hear anything, get the hell out of dodge and get help.

* * *

The Murder of One Was Always the Plan Part I

Elena and Bonnie are walking up the stairs with breakfast for Alaric. Elena knocks on his door and Damon answers it.

"Morning, witchy." Damon greets, fully ignoring Elena, causing her to inspect him curiously. Oh, Lexx was gonna flip when she heard this and Elena was more than willing to tell her.

"Hey, how's Alaric?" Elena asks, moving to enter the apartment, but Damon blocks her.

"Indecent, but fine." Elena and Bonnie share quick glances before Bonnie speaks.

"Then does that mean there were no issues last night? The herbs worked?" Damon smirks.

"Slept like a baby. Woke up Alaric; no head minds about dead council members." He assures her. More good news she could tell Lexx.

"Then why do I feel like you're hiding something?" Elena counters.

"Well, maybe because you're being all paranoid."

"And me?" Bonnie questions, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms. Damon keeps his eyes from darting down at the new position that the movement causes.

"You like being a control freak, always have; you only liked having chocolate pancakes on Friday and wouldn't eat them if your Dad made it any other day," He recalls easily. Elena cocks her head in interest.

"How did you-?" She asks startled. Wasn't he only supposed to know random things about Elena?

"I told you, every few years I stopped by to make sure Emily's bloodline was alive and well, and if I remember correctly, Bon Bon, you're apart it," He sniffs the air and takes the brown paper bag Elena got from the bakery from her. "Ooo, speaking of chocolate, you bought chocolate muffins. You know what they say; a way to a psycho killer's heart is through his stomach." Bonnie looks away as an involuntary laugh escapes her causing Damon to stare at her. Elena looks between the two, pursing her lips amusingly. She takes Damon being momentarily distracted by Bonnie to take the bag back from him.

"They're not for you." She announces, stirring Damon out of his Bonnie induced haze.

"I doubt you'd like them very much; they're not Original flavored." Bonnie hints. Elena glances at Bonnie and Damon before turning her attention to the ground; she felt like she was in the middle of a couples' fight. Damon sighs before his eyes turn to steel.

"I'm sorry," He blinks his eyes, lost. "Who gave who an aneurysm here?"

"Who decided going after vampires twice our age was the smartest thing to do?" She snaps back.

"Fine," His jaw ticks. "While you keep convincing yourself you're still mad at me, Ric's gonna have to miss Elena time today what with lockdown and all." Elena's shoulders sag.

"Just take it and give it to him and tell him that I miss him, okay? " Elena hands Damon the bag of muffins.

"With pleasure." She pulls the bag back.

"Please." She pleads lightly. Damon starts to shut the door on her.

"Damon…" Bonnie calls out. Oh, no. She didn't get to make his brain explode and then expect to be met with niceties just 'cause she asked.

"Have a great day, thanks for coming by!" He dismisses.

"Dam-"Damon closes the door and walks over to Ric and Stefan who are standing by a saw with the Wickery Bridge sign. He listens to Bonnie and Elena leaving.

"Talk to him Bonnie." If she knew about about her conversation with Damon yesterday there was no telling how she would react. And no doubt she would tell Caroline and Lexx; they'd want to rehash the whole Damon having feelings for her and the argument for yesterday morning probably wouldn't help.

"You're the doppelgänger."

"You're the only one he listens to," Bonnie falters slightly as she takes a step down. "You guys have an understanding, you have since you've come into your powers. You know he uses sarcasm as a way to mask his emotions." Elena states matter of factly.

"I'm aware," She'd seen the way he watched Ric while he was sleep yesterday; laser focus, almost willing the history teacher to wake up and resume the routine of having a drink with him at the Grill. "Maybe too much." She mutters.

"We have to tell him Jenna," Elena sighs. "Maybe this will be a bright spot for him." Elena suggests.

"Are you gonna wait till Lexx can talk? I mean, he might feel guilty if he sees them." Bonnie voices.

"That's probably best." She agrees as they round the last bend of the stairs.

"Walking down the stairs, opening the front door, and they're gone." Damon calls out to Stefan and Alaric. Alaric turns the saw on and begins to saw the sign. Damon, Alaric, and Stefan are creating stakes from the Wickery Bridge sign. Stefan looks at one of the stakes.

"This needs to have a sharper point." Stefan voices as he hands one of the stakes to Damon.

"I got it."

"We finally have our own stakes to kill an Original, I'm not gonna miss because you can't whittle." Stefan critics Damon.

"I said I got it," He answers back. "Stop micromanaging and go back to whittling." Damon begins to sharpen the point of the stake as Alaric puts on his jacket.

"Looks like you guys have got this under control. I'm gonna call the Sheriff," Damon and Stefan look at him. "I want to turn myself in." He explains at Damon's confused look. Stefan gives him a pointed look.

"No you don't." Damon shoots down as he resumes sharpening the stake with his knife.

"I have a homicidal alter ego," He reminds the both of them. "Unlike some people in this room, I would like to take responsibility for the people I've killed."

"If you wanted to turn yourself in, you wouldn't be saying it out loud. Just saying." Damon shrugs his shoulders.

"Hey, listen, out of all the people you cannot psychoanalyze me. I killed Brian Walters; I nearly killed Caroline's father and Meredith. I-"He exhales a shaky breath, swallowing tensely. " _I hurt_ my niece," His voice cracks as Damon shifts his gaze to Stefan. How the hell was he supposed to look at Lexx, at any of them? "Everything's changed now. _I've_ changed." Stefan releases a sigh as the tension leaves his body.

"Look, you're not turning yourself in," Stefan finally speaks. "Bonnie's herbs are working."

"His morals get very questionable when he has revenge on the brain." Damon chimes as his left eyebrows lifts up and his right follows, before going back down.

"Klaus needs to die," He states detachedly before he remembers he isn't an army of one anymore; Caroline and Lexx were his friends, not unsuspecting victims who needed to die in a ploy to satisfy Klaus. "We finally have the chance to kill him, and once we take the Originals out, we have one less threat to deal with and can focus on trying to find you another option if it stops working. You're not turning yourself in." Damon gets up and turns to Alaric and stretches his arm out, holding the ring.

"Here's your ring, Ric. Put it on." He eyes it with disdain.

"That ring is the reason I've killed people."

"You killed _a_ person-"

"Blood's on my hands Damon, what's your point?" He snaps.

"It's also the reason you're alive," He counters lightly. "You're going vampire hunting, Ric. Wear it." Alaric scornfully takes the ring and places it on his finger.

* * *

Bonnie, Caroline, Elena are walking through the woods.

"Alaric Saltzman was the one who almost killed my Dad?" Caroline questions, slightly in disbelief. Her History teacher had tried to kill her Dad; she thought only supernatural things could take her by surprise.

"I can't expect you to be okay with this." Elena voices softly from beside her. It was hard watching her as the nervous energy she had deflated to shock.

"At least the herbs that Bonnie's giving him, are healing him." I chime in raspily from the phone. Not the kind of conversation I wanted to be a part of over the phone but Care needed all the emotional support she could get and I needed to wait 'til the bruises around my neck faded. Uncle Ric was definitely toned; guess thrusting stakes into vampire did that to your arms. I could imagine her light blue-green eyes staring straight ahead, unfocused.

"They're keeping the dark side buried so this doesn't happen to Mr. Forbes or anyone else." Bonnie adds.

"Yeah, and that's supposed to make everything okay?" She was already dead-well, undead-she didn't need anyone else joining Brian Walters. Bonnie grabs Caroline's arm and Caroline faces her. Caroline is teary eyed.

"No, Care, it's not okay. Of course it's not okay," She shakes her head. "If it were up to me, you'd never have to go through something like this. I'd never want to see you or your family hurt." She reassures her.

"Seconded," Elena agrees. "You've been through enough with Katherine and Tyler without this being added in. I'm sorry, Care. This was never supposed to happen to you; you were supposed to find love, graduate, go conquer the world." She lists as tears fill her eyes. Caroline lets out a watery laugh.

"We've been dealt a shitty hand, and it's horrible," I call out. Horrible didn't even cover it. "But he's a victim of something supernatural, he didn't want this. It just happened to him, just like you. I mean, you didn't ask to become a vampire and neither did Tyler." Her eyes soften at the mention of her hybrid boyfriend; she hoped he'd leave a voicemail for her; she wanted him to her but a his voice assuring her he and her Dad were safe and making progress with the sire bond would get her through this.

"Or Tyler." She echoes, nodding her head.

"None of you asked for this, but who would I be if I just turned my back on any of you?" Elena questions. Caroline moves to Elena's side and wraps her arm around her shoulders while doing the same to Bonnie as they start to walk off.

"Oh, Elena Gilbert," I sigh dramatically, shaking my head.

"Savior of the cursed and the damned," Caroline finishes as we laugh. "Thanks for being here Lexx. I know it must've taken a lot out of you to talk." She was grateful for the dark haired girl.

"I'm your friend. Geek." I joke as I roll my eyes and hang up the phone as the trio on the other side of the phone see Matt appear.

"Hey," He nods his head at the three girls. "What's with the cryptic secret meeting text?" He directs his question at Bonnie.

"I don't know. Stefan just said to meet here." She answers as Stefan and Damon show up.

"Where's Lexx?" Stefan asks the group causing them to turn around. "I texted her too."

"I think we should leave Lexx out of this one; she kinda likes Rebekah and I don't know if she can go through with this without following guilty. Besides, Ri-" Bonnie catches herself; Lexx had corrected her all last night after she got home and explained what happened. "Samantha got a pretty good hold of her last night." Bonnie grimaces slightly as she remembers the dark purple bruises around her neck. Stefan looks back at Damon.

"She wasn't at school this morning, is she alright?" Matt asks quickly. He figured she was running late to meet everyone. They just talked last night.

"One thing at a time, Donovan." Damon counters.

"I don't know why Lexx puts up with you." Matt wonders out loud.

"Damon, don't," Bonnie warns him before he can take a step forward, throwing her hand out to block him, making contact with his chest. "She's…she's not hurt that bad Matt but don't be surprised if you don't see her for the next couple of days and she doesn't talk much." She updates.

"Thanks, Bon," He'd go see her after whatever this was got done. "What are we doing here?"

"We found some more White Oak," Matt tilts his head in confusion. "Long story, wait for the movie." He smirks as he feels Bonnie give him an annoyed look from beside him. She drops her hand. Damon doesn't hide his disappointment at the loss of contact.

"Hang on, White Oak? You have a weapon that can kill Klaus?" Elena asks shocked.

"Nope," Stefan answers. "We all have a weapon." He throws down a duffel bag with white oak stakes in it.

* * *

Finn is walking down the street when Klaus jogs up alongside him.

"Hello, Finn." He greets causally. Finn flicks his eyes up annoyed, but not surprised.

"Hello, Niklaus. I have nothing to say to you." He replies back shortly.

"Well, I'm not here to chat. I will ask you one time though, where's our Mother?" He gets straight to the point as they continue to walk down the street.

"Gone to find another way to end our abominable lives," He keeps his pace as he turns to face him. "And when she does, I will sacrifice myself all over again."

"Well, how fortunate that I found you," He voices breezily. "I require your assistance."

"I have no wish to help you. Only to see you dead." Wasn't that obvious?

"Right, well, that's the thing; you see you won't be able to see me dead, because if I die," He gestures himself then Finn. "Then you die. So, wish unfulfilled, I'm afraid." He announces unapologetically.

"Oh, bother someone else with your hollowed charms, Niklaus." He instructs as they cross the street.

"The Mystic Falls gang has already reached their limit with me and I would rather give Alexandra break before she gets there as well, so why not come bother my big brother?" He questions cheekily. "I need you to accompany me back to Mystic Falls, I have a witch there who can help undo Esther's spell that linked us together."

"I have no wish to be unlinked. The only option you have left is to talk me to death and you're doing a fine job." Klaus moves in front of Finn and places his hand on his chest to stop him from moving on.

"Again with the wishes. Let me rephrase," He drops the dutiful little brother act. "You _will_ come back with me or I will put you back in that coffin in which you rotted for nine hundred years." He swears.

"What happens to one, happens to all," he reminds him. "You may not feel the effects of the dagger, but you'd lose your _precious_ Rebekah." He could always count on Niklaus never wanting to be alone.

"Wouldn't be the first time." He admits gravely. Finn walks off, Klaus watches him leave. Finn super speeds down an alleyway but Rebekah blocks his path.

"Let's not make this any worse than it has to be, darling brother." She beacons.

"You're siding with him? Rebekah, he stored us in _boxes_."

"At least he's not trying to make us extinct." She counters. Finn turns around and sees a stone faced Klaus behind him.

"What are you gonna do? Kill me?"

"Oh yeah, that's right, you've got a death wish," He recalls sarcastically. "Fine, pathetic, but fine. The thing is, I'm not gonna let you take the rest of us down with you." Klaus throws Finn against the brick wall of the building to the right and thrust him back to the wall behind him. He crumples to the ground as Klaus smirks up at Rebekah.

* * *

"Klaus has always been one step ahead of us, but now we have the advantage. We're all armed and they are all linked, meaning we only need to kill one of them. We need to seize the best opportunity, which means we need to prepare for every opportunity." Stefan instructs.

"Scenario number one," Damon grabs Bonnie and moves her over to Stefan. "You get to play Klaus."

"Is that supposed to be a metaphor?" Matt questions.

"You picked that up too?" Bonnie asks.

"Rebekah is our target so we distract her and catch her off guard. To do that, we need to keep Klaus separate and occupied," Stefan looks at Caroline. "Caroline."

"Why are you looking at me?" She questions, confused.

"Because he's obsessed with you." She was pretty sure she picked up on something with him and _Lexx._

"And how's that?" The blonde moves her hands frantically.

"I'm gonna go with sending you dresses and expensive jewelry when he knows you have a boyfriend for two hundred, Alex." Damon jokes.

"That's him trying to appeal to my materialism."

"And the hand drawn horse he took the time to take out of his busy schedule from trying to kill us to draw you?" She found another present from Klaus on her bed when she got him after she left Tyler a voicemail. She figured it was another piece of jewelry, like the bracelet, put it was a rolled-up piece of paper with a sketch of her and a horse, and on it Klaus has written 'Thank you for your honesty, Klaus'. She'd promptly thrown it into the trash after she ripped the picture in half. A few days after Lexx had started talking to her after the Jenna thing, she spotted the light brown paper when she came over. 'I see he appreciates honesty from you too.' She told her.

"Dammit, Lexx," She no longer felt grateful for the brunette. She was gonna crack the whip extra hard for her at practice. "Why do I have to be Klaus bait?" She begrudgingly accepts the task. Damon walks over to Caroline.

"But for right now we need you to play Rebekah. We use you," He points at Matt. "Quarterback to distract her. Just keep her talking."

"How?" He didn't have dancing to distract her with and he doubt she wanted to hear about Coach's play against the Eagles on Friday.

"Act interested. She's lonely, desperate."

"Clearly; she slept with you." Caroline seconds.

"You guys don't have to call her names or judge who she sleeps with; you were almost Rebekah, remember Care?" He mentions in case she's forgotten. Elena suppresses a grin. Matt smirks. Caroline nods her in resignation.

"Hm. Beefcake holds bombshell, I come up from behind her," Damon gets behind Caroline, grabs her arms, and put them behind her back. "Grab her arms like this."

"Ow!" She yells out at the pressure he applies forcefully. Stefan comes up with the stake in his hand, imitating stabbing Caroline.

"Gives me time for one shot," Stefan voices as Damon lets go of Caroline. "Got it? Good. So we all have one stake, we keep it hidden and we look out for any opportunity we have."

"Bonnie is the only one I don't have to worry about besides Stefan, so no last minute attacks of pity for any of them." Damon looks at Elena pointedly.

"You don't have to worry about me," She looks at Bonnie. "Not after what happened to Jeremy." Elena assures him quickly.

"Barbie?"

"Oh, I'm ready," She answers quickly. "Anything that will free Tyler from his sire bond to Klaus." She wasn't sure how the breaking was going since her Dad and he were scarce on the details; they didn't want to get her hopes up in case it didn't work.

"Busboy?"

"Do I have a choice?" He asks good naturedly.

"Good point." He concedes.

"We have twelve stakes, twelve shots at killing one Original," He glances at Elena. "We can do this," She nods her head. "Alright, let's try another scenario," he picks up a crossbow. "Elena grab a crossbow, Matt, you play Klaus." Matt looks warily at Elena as she aims the crossbow. Elena didn't feel good about aiming an arrow at a very human Matt but if push came to shove, there were three vampires around.

* * *

Klaus throws Finn into the foyer. Rebekah and Klaus follow.

"Gather your witch," She orders Klaus. "Let's get his blood and get on with it."

"You brought me back here, but you can't force me to help you." Finn voices confidently.

"Oh, I most likely could, but why force when I can persuade?" Klaus points his hand towards the staircase. Sage walks down the stairs. Finn looks at her.

"Hello, Finn." Sage greets, trailing down the staircase slowly. She couldn't be standing here, feet away from him; it had been decades, centuries.

"Sage." He calls out, his eyes widening in amazement. She smiles. His breathe hitches as he quickly picks himself up from the floor and rushes to embrace her in his arms.

"What do you know, true love prevails." Rebekah states bitterly. Klaus receives a text from Kol. _From Kol: Let me know when I'm needed._

"It does occasionally have its uses," He replies, texting Kol back. _To Kol: I will_. "Easier than torturing him."

"I have something to do," She was bored with watching her big brother moon over his long lost love that she didn't approve of. "What do you need from me for this spell?"

"Just your blood and your blessing. Where are you going?"

"I have some unfinished business with Damon Salvatore," She was still sour over the fact the redhead used her but she could've let her die and chose otherwise, so she begrudgingly owned her. "Ask Sage what he did to me, then you'll understand why retribution is in order." He watches her perplexed and then turns to watch Finn and Sage.


	26. Chapter 26

The Murder of Two Was Always the Plan Part II

Damon places his white oak stake underneath a pile of firewood.

"I mean, did you learn nothing from the moonstone in the soap dish?" Alaric asks. "Lexx is gonna beat you over the head with it when she finds out."

"Why? Where'd you put yours?" He questions, piling more firewood on top.

"A magician never reveals his tricks." Alaric laughs.

"You talk to Lexx today?" Damon ask, getting up.

"No," He flexes his hand. "She doesn't want to talk to me." He states. And why would she after what he did?

"Did she tell you that or are you set on taking on Stefan's self-loathing trait?"

"Elena called and asked if I had heard from Lexx; she said she's not answering texts or calls…from anyone." Alaric stares down at his hands. Damon takes notice.

"Maybe she just need a me day," Damon suggests, shrugging his shoulders. "She's probably embarrassed she took down her Uncle and pretty easily from what I heard." He smirks. A small laugh leaves Alaric.

"Hey, what was with you last night?" Alaric asks as the thought comes to him suddenly.

"Didn't realize something was going on with me." He crosses his shoulders.

"You seemed agitated," He responds. "Actually you kinda were giving off the same vibe this morning…after you talked to Bonnie." He was so set on turning himself in, he had put it on the back burner this morning, but Damon wasn't the type to get easily thrown off his game. He used to let his love -obsession was what it was- for Elena consume him, but he hadn't seen a trace of it in months; once Stefan left, him and Bonnie appointed themselves the unofficial leaders of the group and leaned heavily on one another whether they cared to admit or not. Bonnie kept Damon- unpredictable, change a plan on a whim, Damon- level-headed and calm and Damon had poured every ounce of free time he had into helping Bonnie with Emily's book after Bonnie had all put severed her bond with her magic after bringing Jeremy back. He was so sure the two of them would get together but Damon had picked up a habit of being where Jeremy was where Bonnie was concerned.

"Witches have a knack for that." He replies.

"I'm sure it's just a certain a witch that happens to be my student," Alaric fires back as they hear a floor board creak from upstairs. Damon stands up. "What the hell was that?" Ric questions as he reaches inside his jacket to pull out a stake. This was not way Damon wanted Ric to find out about Jenna. What the hell was she doing that was making that much noise anyways?

"Let's find out." Damon speeds up the stairs and quickly checks each room for the source of the sound, but finds nothing.

"You find anything?" Ric asks has he trails behind, stake aimed to strike in case the intruder is a vampire.

"Maybe it was just the house settling," He answers as he hears a crash come from the den. "Or someone settling in." Suddenly, he sees Alaric get thrown down a flight of stairs.

"Ric?" Damon looks up the stairs and feels a piercing pain in his stomach.

"Hello," Know he knew the piercing pain is a knife Rebekah no doubt got from the kitchen. "You lasted longer last night. Don't go getting tired on me, lover." She shifts the knife upward, causing Damon to fall forward on her shoulder.

* * *

Elena is on her phone, leaving a message for Lexx.

"Lexx, we're starting to worry about you, you're not answering," It had only been a couple hours since Lexx had talked to them but she wouldn't put it past Klaus to try something. "Call me back or call Caroline, Matt, just call someone, text, please." She begs as she hangs up. Jenna calls shortly after.

"Hey, are you still coming?" Jenna asks as she readjusts the phone on her shoulder.

"Yeah, just Lexx isn't answering anybody's calls or texts; we're worried." Elena explains.

"She probably needed a day to herself, nothing to take personal." Jenna reassures her.

"But something like this always happens and it usually ends up with one us being kidnapped." She was right about that.

"Sweetie," Jenna sighs. "It isn't everyday your Uncle tries to strangle you." Elena winces before she nods her head. Bonnie was on her way home, so maybe she'd have better luck.

"I figured that, but I still don't trust Klaus not to try something regardless if he likes Lexx." Jenna narrows her eyes. She hoped the meaning of like had changed while she was rotting away in her coffin.

"What do you mean by 'like', Elena?" Jenna asks lowly. Right; Jenna was still playing the catch-up game.

"Jenna," Elena sighs. "You've missed-"Jenna cuts her off.

"'Cause Klaus doesn't like people; he figures out how he can use them and when they've served their purpose, he kills them," She lets out a morbid laugh. "If he's in a good mood, he'll kill you in front your niece… quickly." Elena body tenses up as the memory tries to slowly creep up and take hold of her. She slowly exhales an uneven breathe.

The phone beeping reveals Caroline is calling on the other end, giving Elena a break from the tense conversation between Jenna and her.

"It's Caroline," Elena sighs, clearing her throat to shake off the tears that have filled her eyes. "I gotta take this, she could be calling about Lexx."

"Fine. I wanted to take a nap anyways." And with that, she hangs up. Elena could once again thank Klaus for being the cause of all her problems.

"What's up, Care?"

"Where are you?" She asks quickly.

"Uh, home, why?"

"Matt just spotted Finn in the town square and he's with some ex-girlfriend or something." She updates.

"Ex-girlfriend? He's been in a coffin for the last nine-," She pauses. "It's got to be Sage. Does she have red hair?"

"Yeah."

"We have an opportunity," Question was. "How do we go about this?" Elena bites her lip.

"I tried Stefan, he didn't answer."

"Okay, I'll try to see if I can get him, you call Damon." She orders.

"Okay." She hangs up and quickly calls Stefan.

"Hey." He answers.

"Where are you, Caroline just called and you didn't answer."

"I was driving, what happened?" He asks, opening the door to the Salvatore house.

"Finn is in the town square; guess we didn't have to look out long for an opportunity." Stefan smirks on the other end.

"Guess not, but Elena, do not do anything, okay? Sage is very old and very strong. You don't stand a chance against her." Even she wasn't that foolhardy. It's not like she had anything sage wanted or anything to offer her for that matter.

"Then get Damon and get down there." She orders as Stefan sees Alaric on the staircase and that he is injured.

"What the hell happened to you?" Did he and Damon get into it? He did seem irritated after Bonnie showed up at the apartment; maybe Ric had said the wrong thing and Damon took his frustrations out on him instead of confronting his obvious feelings for Bonnie.

"Stefan?" Elena calls out worried.

"Rebekah happened." He grunts.

"Rebekah? Wait, but Jenna's there. I just got off the phone with her." Ric's head snaps up. Did he miss when another person named Jenna got wrapped up in this? Stefan takes a few steps away from Ric.

"She was probably too far away to hear anything, Elena." Stefan whispers. He turns to back to Ric. "Does she know about the White Oak?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"Didn't have a lot of time to figure that how before she was throwing me into the wall," He groans as he gets up. "Damon has his stake with the fire wood, you can go check if it's still there." He suggests.

"I think we have a problem." Elena and Stefan say at the same time.

* * *

Rebekah clamps a bear traps around Damon's wrist and hangs him from the ceiling.

"I found them in the shed," He groans." What kind of monster would trap a poor, defenseless animal?" She wonders as she walks over to a end table and picks up a dagger.

"You've got to admit, even for me, it's a little kinky." He smiles. He wouldn't be smiling for long.

"You pretended to be interested in me and then you slept with me so your trampy friend, Sage, could steal my thoughts," She circles around him. "Ever since then I felt this incessant need to one up you," She stop[s in front of him. "So I've decided to bleed the vervain from your system." She rips open his shirt and cuts his chest with a knife. He groans in pain.

"You wanna compel me to be your boyfriend?" He was flattered she went so far, but it wasn't necessary. He was only interested in witches that made him have a conscious.

"Actually, I'd rather compel you to kill your brother," The playful look in Damon's eyes dies. "Or Elena. But, since vampires heal, bleeding you may take a while. We should probably stick to the major arteries." Rebekah cuts Damon's throat, he bleeds profusely. Klaus enters the room.

"Well, look what you've caught," He spots the bear traps. "Trying to bleed him of vervain. Don't you think it would be easier to hang him upside down?" He suggests.

"I'm perfectly capable of inflicting pain, thank you very much." She snaps. She's had over a thousand years on Earth, she wasn't new to this.

"Well, excuse me, it's not like I have any expertise in the matter." Klaus replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"You know, why don't you just leave me be and go and manage your witch?" She offers. Damon felt sorry for whatever poor soul's family Klaus was willing to gut so he could break Esther's unlinking spell. Klaus grins and leaves. Rebekah turns back to Damon.

"Hmm, where were we?"

* * *

"Tick tock, I should hear chanting by now." Klaus announces to Bonnie as he enters another room in the mansion.

"I'm still studying the unlinking spell," She flips another page in the grimoire. "It's not that easy, especially under duress. " She stares at him pointedly.

"You've been warned. If you're looking for a way to send for help, I will kill anyone who comes to your rescue." Witches were servant of natures who were supposed to keep the balance and bringing Jeremy back resulted in her powers weakening. If she still had the power of a hundred witches, Klaus would be ash.

"This is the spell," She points out to him. "I just don't know if I'm strong enough." Bonnie gets up from the sofa and walks away from Klaus.

"Then you should have a little more faith in yourself, Bonnie," Klaus take a step towards Bonnie. "Your energy helped my Mother link us. Honestly, I think someone isn't trying very hard," Bonnie stares back him passively. "Very well," Klaus pulls out his phone and calls Kol. "Kol. How's the weather up there in Mile High City? And how's our friend? May I see him?" Klaus walks over to Bonnie and holds up his phone. She sees Jeremy playing with his dog.

How had he found him, she was sure the spell would work. Ever since she'd brought Jeremy back from the dead, her powers had been weak and unpredictable; the Spirits didn't take kindly to bringing him back without taking something in return, keeping the balance. Her magic didn't have staying power which meant her spells wouldn't stick. She'd save his life only to put him in danger.

"There's Jeremy, playing fetch with his new puppy. Oh, isn't that just the most adorable thing you've ever seen?" He asks mockingly. He puts the phone back to his ear. "Thank you Kol, we'll be in touch," He hangs up. "So, Bonnie, how 'bout that spell?" He smirks.

* * *

Caroline enters the library in the Salvatore house. Alaric is lying on the couch.

"Hey. I hear you had a run in with Buffy the vampire." She laughs lightly.

"Yeah, I'll live," He sits up. "What are you doing here?" He asks hesitantly. What do you see say to your History student whose Dad you almost killed?

"Checking up on you," She slows down her steps. "In case you're not you." She squints her eyes.

"I'm me."

"Well I guess not you would say that too. Which is why," She shows him a water bottle of herbs. "Elena said you have to drink this. I hope it tastes better than it smells." She hands him the bottle.

"Wish I could," Alaric takes a drink the medicine. "Mhm. That's disgusting."

"It's either that or kill people, so," Alaric looks at her then looks away, avoiding her gaze. "Elena told me everything." She sits down.

"Caroline," He looks at her at a loss for words. "I am so sorry. I don't even know what else I could say." He whispers. Caroline stares at him angrily before she exhales through her nose and shakes her head.

"Right after I turned into a vampire, I killed someone. A stranger," He was a guy just there to help sit up fair games and rides and she had taken his life. "I just… killed him. And what's worse is I liked it," Alaric looks away. So did he. Or his alter ego had. "I have blood on my hands too. I mean we all do."

"Yeah, but the blood on my hands is Brian Walters and I almost added your Dad's to it." It the same but his was worse.

"Yeah, it is," She agrees. "And maybe the guy I killed was someone's Father too. Look, all I know is, I'm no better than you. So, I'm going to take a page from the Elena Gilbert handbook and choose to believe that you can be saved." Alaric gives a short laugh. "Okay?"

"Okay," She smiles. "But I need you to tell me what Jenna has to do with this."

* * *

Elena races up to Stefan once she spots him outside the Grill.

"Hey, how is he?" She asks quickly.

"Hey. He's just banged up. Caroline's gonna stay with him and make sure Alaric stays Alaric. Matt texted me and said Finn is still in the Grill. We need to plan our next move."

"Wait, wait, Rebekah has Damon; our next move should be finding him." There was no telling what she would do to him while she had him.

"No, we need to stay on point," Rebekah wasn't gonna kill Damon, he'd be fine. "See an Original, kill an Original. That's the plan."

"Yeah, that was the plan _before_ Damon's life was hanging in the balance." Plans changed all the time, why was this one any different?

"Look, Elena, I understand that you're concerned about my brother's life, but if he even knew for one second, that we were talking about missing a chance to kill these people, he would lose his mind." And put them in whatever trap Rebekah had him in.

"Yeah, and if the roles were reversed, he would stop everything to save you," She counters. "He's done it before." Stefan eyes take on a slight manic look.

"We are spread thin in case you haven't noticed, Elena," He sighs. "Alaric can turn into Samantha at a drop of a hat, so Caroline has to babysit him, Lexx is taking a personal day, and Bonnie isn't answering her phone; that leaves a vampire, a busboy, and a doppelgänger." In short, he knew what his brother would want.

"What he would want and what we should do are two different things." Elena says softly. It wasn't gonna do him any good to try to give him and Elena another chance if she was set on Damon. Stefan licks his lips.

"We all agreed earlier, Elena. You gonna help me with this or not?" Elena stares at Stefan, scornfully. Looked like the ex-boyfriends had this."Okay, I'll figure it out myself." He leaves a conflicted Elena behind.

* * *

Damon is weak and losing blood, still hanging in the bear trap. He sees two people enter the room. As they get closer, he sees its Elena and Stefan.

"What are you doing here? You know Rebekah wants to tear you apart."

"Then hurry up and tell me what to do," She whispers. "Stefan come on." She calls. Damon looks up at his wrists, trapped in the bear traps.

"We're gonna have to open them," Elena opens one of the traps and grabs Damon, holding him up while Stefan opens up the second one. Damon grunts. "Carefully."

"How did you know where I was?" Elena wraps her arm around his waist and Stefan does the same to his left side.

"Bonnie did a spell to find you." Stefan answers as they walk out of the room and down the hall.

"Why should she even be looking for me, she hates me right now." Elena rolls her eyes.

"If we make it out of here, you should ask her out before someone else tries to kill you again." Elena suggests.

"I think he'd rather ignore his feelings and pretend he doesn't like her while fending off every guy that looks her way." Stefan replies. Elena locks eyes with Stefan, both laughing.

"Shut up." Damon orders before he falls over and lands on the carpet.

"Damon, we have to keep going." Stefan urges, putting his arm around his shoulder.

"We can't stay here." Elena echoes, looking around for Rebekah or Klaus to make an appearance. They make it to the parlor and Damon collapses on the floor, Elena falls down next to him.

"Look at me," She grabs his face in her hands. "You gotta make it out of here," He shakes his head. "Bonnie doesn't hate you, Damon."

"She wouldn't be outside waiting for it she did," He looks up in surprise, his eyes unfocused. "Don't make Bonnie have called us for nothing, you know she hates that." Damon gives a slight laugh before Elena holds her wrist to his mouth.

"Here, drink."

"Elena, don't." Damon weakly protests.

"We're not gonna leave you," Stefan replies. "Drink." He orders lightly. Damon bites Elena's wrist and starts to feed. The whole thing was just a daydream. Damon is still stuck in the trap.

"Uh, you bitch." Damon grunts weakly.

"It's not fun when someone messes with your thoughts, is it?" Rebekah pouts. "I didn't realize you had your eyes on the Bennett witch," She laughs. "You would've had a better chance with the doppelgänger; from what I've seen, Bonnie's moral compass is damn near unshakable and you are always on the wrong side of that."

"Maybe she'll give me a gold star after all the good work I've done after your brother took Stefan on a blood spree around the country," He pauses. "Didn't he have you daggered for a while before he decided to let you out?" He manages a smirk. Rebekah applies pressure to the bear trap on his right wrist. He hisses.

"Mmm, well I hope you were gonna be nicer to Bonnie than you were to me."

"Oh, come on, I couldn't have hurt you that bad. You didn't really think I had a thing for you, did you?" Damon questions. Rebekah looks hurt. Damon nods his head. "I get it; If Klaus bossed me around for a thousand years, and the only other decent guy besides Stefan wasn't interested in me, I'd probably be pretty desperate for attention too." Rebekah stabs Damon in the stomach and he screams. Bonnie hears him in the other room and turns around.

"What was that?" Bonnie asks as she whips her head around as the sound dies out.

"I wouldn't let it bother you, love." Klaus answers.

"Well, it does bother me, as a matter of fact, you bother me," Bonnie shakes her in disbelief. "How do you think Caroline would ever be interested in a guy who could sire you at a drop of hat because he has a bad day?" Klaus tightens his jaw.

"You're being emotional, Bonnie," Klaus points out. "I understand that things have been rough for you, what with your Mother re-entering your life and discovering you have a sibling," He cuffs his hands behind his back. "It's very sad. I could fetch your brother if you want. I have people who can bring him here if you want, save you the trip," He takes a step closer to her. "Or, if you choose, I can just bring parts of him back," Bonnie pushes him away from her with a moving spell. "Isn't it obvious that I'm just gonna continue to hurt the people you love until you do the spell? Now, I know it's in the grimoire and I know it requires the blood of my siblings, so here we are." Klaus grabs a case and opens it. There are four bottles of blood within it. Klaus points to them. "Elijah. Rebekah. Kol. Finn," Klaus bites his hand and holds his bloody hand clenched in a fist and looks at Bonnie. "Where do you want this?"

"I'm gonna kill you before this over yet, Klaus." Bonnie vows with a steely glare as she grabs a glass and holds it under Klaus' hand so his blood can drip into it.

"Bring a chair, the line is long, love." He laughs.


End file.
